Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

उपायं कं विधास्यामस्तरणार्थं वनौकसाम् । राज्याद्भ्रष्टो वनं प्राप्तो हृता सीता मृतः पिता

Transliteration

upāyaṃ kaṃ vidhāsyāmastaraṇārthaṃ vanaukasām | rājyādbhraṣṭo vanaṃ prāpto hṛtā sītā mṛtaḥ pitā

Translation

വനവാസി മിത്രങ്ങളെ കടത്തുവാൻ എന്ത് ഉപായം ചെയ്യാം? രാജ്യം നഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു ഞാൻ വനത്തിലേക്ക് വന്നു; സീതയെ അപഹരിച്ചു; പിതാവ് മരിച്ചുപോയി.

Word by Word

• उपायम्: means, plan
• उपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कम्: which? what?
• कम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• विधास्यामः: shall we arrange/do
• विधास्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तरणार्थम्: for crossing
• तरणार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरणार्थ (प्रातिपदिक; तरण + अर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose)

• वनौकसाम्: of the forest-dwellers
• वनौकसाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनौकस् (प्रातिपदिक; वन + ओकस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• राज्यात्: from the kingdom
• राज्यात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भ्रष्टः: fallen/banished
• भ्रष्टः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रंश् (धातु) → भ्रष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘fallen/banished’

• वनम्: to the forest
• वनम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्तः: having reached
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘having reached’

• हृता: (has been) abducted
• हृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि भावः ‘was taken away’

• सीता: Sītā
• सीता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) → मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘dead’

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Rāma (contextual attribution)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-kṣetra (council shore)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vānara allies (vanaukasaḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma, burdened by exile and loss, speaks to his vānaras; the ocean looms; the army waits for a plan to cross.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Daśaratha (implied by 'father')
• Vānara allies (vanaukasaḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Personal grief is acknowledged, yet dharma demands constructive action for the sake of the community and the righteous mission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Setu region is the narrative setting; this verse emphasizes the crisis prompting Setubandha rather than praising a site directly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a strategic and emotional reflection.