Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

अहं सेतुं विधास्यामि ह्यगाधे वरुणालये । पित्रा दत्तवरश्चाहं सामर्थ्ये चापि तत्समः

Transliteration

ahaṃ setuṃ vidhāsyāmi hyagādhe varuṇālaye | pitrā dattavaraścāhaṃ sāmarthye cāpi tatsamaḥ

Translation

“ഞാൻ ഈ അഗാധമായ വരുണാലയ സമുദ്രത്തിൽ സേതു നിർമ്മിക്കും. പിതാവിൽ നിന്ന് എനിക്ക് വരം ലഭിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്; കഴിവിലും ഞാൻ അതിനോട് സമൻ.”

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सेतुम्: bridge
• सेतुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विधास्यामि: will construct; will arrange
• विधास्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) उपसर्ग: वि-
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• अगाधे: in the unfathomable (deep)
• अगाधे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगाध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) / नपुंसक? (context: ‘वरुणालये’ loc.), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वरुणालये’)

• वरुणालये: in the abode of Varuṇa (the sea)
• वरुणालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुणालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: वरुण + आलय (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पित्रा: by (my) father
• पित्रा: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• दत्तवरः: one who has been granted a boon
• दत्तवरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: दत्त + वर (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष; ‘given-boon’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अहम्’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सामर्थ्ये: in capability; in power
• सामर्थ्ये: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामर्थ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• तत्समः: equal to him
• तत्समः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत् + सम (तत्पुरुष; ‘equal to him/that’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘अहम्’)

Speaker

Nala

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha at Varuṇa-tīra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nala vows before Rāma: he will build the bridge over the unfathomable ocean; the sea looms vast, suggesting Varuṇa’s presence, while the army listens.

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Setu
• Varuṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred service (sevā) becomes effective when one recognizes and dedicates one’s divinely-given talents to dharmic aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha in the ocean realm of Varuṇa—later revered as a purifying pilgrimage zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the focus is on the dharmic resolve to establish the Setu.