Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

समाजह्रुर्महाकाया गरुडानिलरंहसः । नलश्चक्रे महासेर्तुमध्ये नदनदीपतेः

Transliteration

samājahrurmahākāyā garuḍānilaraṃhasaḥ | nalaścakre mahāsertumadhye nadanadīpateḥ

Translation

ആ മഹാകായന്മാർ ഗരുഡനും കാറ്റുംപോലെ വേഗത്തിൽ ശിലാദികളെ കൊണ്ടുവന്ന് കൂട്ടിച്ചേർത്തു. നദിനദീപതിയായ സമുദ്രത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ നലൻ മഹാസേതു നിർമ്മിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• समाजह्रुः: they brought/collected
• समाजह्रुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (plural); परस्मैपदम्

• महाकायाः: the great-bodied ones
• महाकायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाय (प्रातिपदिक: महा + काय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural)

• गरुडानिलरंहसः: swift like Garuḍa and the wind
• गरुडानिलरंहसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरुड-अनिल-रंहस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन (plural); उपमा/विशेषण—‘गरुडस्य अनिलस्य इव रंहः यस्य’ (having speed like Garuḍa and the wind)

• नलः: Nala
• नलः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन (singular)

• चक्रे: made/constructed
• चक्रे: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); आत्मनेपदम्

• महासेतु: the great bridge
• महासेतु: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महासेतु (प्रातिपदिक: महा + सेतु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन (singular)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (singular)

• नदनदीपतेः: of the lord of rivers and streams (the ocean)
• नदनदीपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नद-नदी-पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-tīrtha (Rāma-setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vānaras of immense bodies, swift as Garuḍa and wind, gather and place stones/trees; Nala directs the engineering as the ocean churns around the rising causeway.

Characters & Entities

• Nala
• Vānaras
• Garuḍa
• Ocean (lord of rivers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

With dharmic intent, even the seemingly impassable becomes traversable; sacred engineering is portrayed as divinely supported endeavor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setubandha/Rāma Setu situated in the ocean, revered as a holy passage and tīrtha landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the construction itself.