Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

प्रस्थापयामास कपीन्सीतान्वेषणकांक्षया । विदितायां तु वैदेह्या लंकायां वायुसूनुना

Transliteration

prasthāpayāmāsa kapīnsītānveṣaṇakāṃkṣayā | viditāyāṃ tu vaidehyā laṃkāyāṃ vāyusūnunā

Translation

സീതാന്വേഷണാഭിലാഷത്തോടെ അവൻ കപികളെ യാത്രയാക്കി. വായുപുത്രൻ മുഖേന വൈദേഹി ലങ്കയിൽ ഉണ്ടെന്ന് അറിയപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ…

Word by Word

• प्रस्थापयामास: dispatched/sent forth
• प्रस्थापयामास: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√स्था/स्था (धातु) (णिच्-प्रयोजक)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच् (causative: caused to set forth/dispatched)

• कपीन्: monkeys
• कपीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन

• सीता: Sītā
• सीता: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (समासपूर्वपद/उपपद), एकवचन (in compound)

• अन्वेषणकांक्षया: out of desire to search
• अन्वेषणकांक्षया: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्वेषण (प्रातिपदिक; अनु√इष्/√इष्) + काङ्क्षा (प्रातिपदिक; √काङ्क्ष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अन्वेषणस्य काङ्क्षा)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• विदितायाम्: when (she/it was) known
• विदितायाम्: Kāla/Condition (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विदित (प्रातिपदिक; √विद्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (when it was known)

• वैदेह्याः: of Vaidehī (Sītā)
• वैदेह्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-संबद्ध (of Vaidehī)

• लङ्कायाम्: in Laṅkā
• लङ्कायाम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वायुसूनुना: by the son of Vāyu (Hanumān)
• वायुसूनुना: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्ता-हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वायोः सूनुः)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu–Laṅkā-mārga (narrative sacred corridor)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sugrīva dispatches vānara bands in different directions; later, Hanumān (son of the Wind) returns with the crucial knowledge that Sītā is in Laṅkā—suggesting a shift from searching uncertainty to confirmed destination.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Laṅkā
• Hanumān (Vāyu-sūnu)
• Vānaras
• Sugrīva (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion joined with courageous effort reveals truth; the faithful messenger becomes an instrument of divine purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Laṅkā is named as the place where Sītā is found; within Setukhaṇḍa, this discovery propels the sacred Setu undertaking associated with Rāmeśvaram.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.