Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

सेतुस्नानेन च तथा न तुल्यं विद्यते क्वचित् । तत्सेतुमूलं लंकायां यत्ररामो यियासया

Transliteration

setusnānena ca tathā na tulyaṃ vidyate kvacit | tatsetumūlaṃ laṃkāyāṃ yatrarāmo yiyāsayā

Translation

സേതുവിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നതിന് തുല്യം എവിടെയും ഇല്ല. ആ സേതുവിന്റെ മൂലം ലങ്കയിലേക്കുള്ള ദിശയിൽ; അവിടെ കടക്കുവാൻ ദൃഢസങ്കൽപത്തോടെ ശ്രീരാമൻ പുറപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• setu-snānena: by bathing at the Setu
• setu-snānena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: setu (प्रातिपदिक) + snāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सेतोः स्नानम्)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: in that manner/likewise)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• tulyam: equal
• tulyam: Vidhaya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative adjective)

• vidyate: exists/is found
• vidyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/सत्तायाम् (exists)

• kvacit: anywhere
• kvacit: Desha-adhikarana (Locative sense/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (indefinite adverb: anywhere/ever)

• tat-setu-mūlam: that root/base of the Setu
• tat-setu-mūlam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + setu (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य सेतोः मूलम्)

• laṅkāyām: in Lanka
• laṅkāyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: laṅkā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Desha-adhikarana (Relative location/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन

• yiyāsayā: with the desire to go
• yiyāsayā: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yiyāsā (प्रातिपदिक; √yā (या) इच्छार्थे, desiderative noun)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; हेतौ/कारणे (by/with the desire to go)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māhātmya narrative style in Brāhma Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu / Setubandha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dawn seascape at Setu: pilgrims bathing where the chain of rocks stretches toward Laṅkā; Rāma in the background with bow, gaze fixed on the crossing, embodying saṅkalpa.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Laṅkā
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage-bathing at Setu is proclaimed uniquely meritorious, teaching that sacred places intensify purification when approached with dharmic intent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha—the bridge-region associated with Rāma’s crossing toward Laṅkā (Rāmeśvaram–Setu sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Setu-snāna (bathing at Setu) is highlighted as the central purificatory act.