Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

दशकंठशिरश्छेदहेतवे सेतवे नमः । केतवे रामचंद्रस्य मोक्षमार्गैकहेतवे

Transliteration

daśakaṃṭhaśiraśchedahetave setave namaḥ | ketave rāmacaṃdrasya mokṣamārgaikahetave

Translation

ദശകണ്ഠന്റെ ശിരഛേദത്തിന് കാരണമായ സേതുവിന് നമസ്കാരം. രാമചന്ദ്രന്റെ കേതുചിഹ്നസ്വരൂപമായി, മോക്ഷമാർഗ്ഗത്തിന്റെ ഏക ഹേതുവായ സേതുവിന് നമസ്കാരം.

Word by Word

• दश: ten
• दश: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; समासपूर्वपद

• कण्ठ: neck/throat
• कण्ठ: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• शिरस्: head
• शिरस्: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• छेद: cutting, severing
• छेद: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• हेतवे: to the cause
• हेतवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन; सम्प्रदान (unto/as cause)

• दशकण्ठशिरश्छेदहेतवे: to the cause of cutting off Ravana's heads
• दशकण्ठशिरश्छेदहेतवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + कण्ठ + शिरस् + छेद + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास: ‘दशकण्ठस्य शिरसां छेदस्य हेतुः’ (cause of severing the heads of Daśakaṇṭha=Rāvaṇa); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• सेतवे: to Setu (the bridge)
• सेतवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Sambandha (Salutation formula/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (नमस्कारार्थक); दत्तिवत् प्रयोगः (obeisance)

• केतवे: to the banner/sign (emblem)
• केतवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• रामचन्द्रस्य: of Rāmacandra
• रामचन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रामचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• मोक्ष: liberation
• मोक्ष: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• मार्ग: path
• मार्ग: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासाङ्ग

• एक: sole, single
• एक: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; समासाङ्ग

• हेतवे: to the cause
• हेतवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन; सम्प्रदान

• मोक्षमार्गैकहेतवे: to the sole cause of the path to liberation
• मोक्षमार्गैकहेतवे: Sampradāna (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष + मार्ग + एक + हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: ‘मोक्षमार्गस्य एकः हेतुः’ (sole cause of the path to liberation); पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Sūta narrating Setu Māhātmya to the Ṛṣis)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Setu as a radiant causeway; above it a banner (ketu) bearing Rāma’s emblem; in the distance the fall of Rāvaṇa implied; pilgrims offer salutations with uplifted hands.

Characters & Entities

• Setu
• Daśakaṇṭha (Rāvaṇa)
• Rāmacandra
• Mokṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The tīrtha is celebrated not only historically (as linked to Rāma’s victory) but also as a direct support for the pilgrim’s liberation-oriented path.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Setubandha, praised through a salutation formula (namaḥ) as spiritually liberating.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation/utterance of salutations (a stotra-style namaskāra) to Setu with liberation-focused intent.