Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ततस्तं कीर्तिरूपं च मध्यदेशे रघूत्तमः । अच्छिनन्निशितैर्बाणैर्दशयोजनविस्तृतम्

Transliteration

tatastaṃ kīrtirūpaṃ ca madhyadeśe raghūttamaḥ | acchinanniśitairbāṇairdaśayojanavistṛtam

Translation

അനന്തരം രഘൂത്തമൻ മദ്ധ്യദേശത്ത് ആ കീർത്തിരൂപമായ പ്രസിദ്ധ ഘടനയെ മൂർച്ചയുള്ള ബാണങ്ങളാൽ ഛേദിച്ചു; അത് പത്ത് യോജന വ്യാപ്തിയായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Desha-Kala (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम-अव्ययम् (then)

• tam: that (him/it)
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• kīrtirūpam: in the form of fame
• kīrtirūpam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kīrti (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः: ‘kīrtiḥ eva rūpam’ = ‘having fame as its form’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• madhyadeśe: in the central region
• madhyadeśe: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘madhyasya deśaḥ’ = ‘central region’

• raghūttamaḥ: the best of the Raghus (Rāma)
• raghūttamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘raghoḥ uttamaḥ’

• acchinat: cut off
• acchinat: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: chid (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• niśitaiḥ: with sharp
• niśitaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśita (कृदन्त; niś धातोः/niś + ita)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying bāṇaiḥ)

• bāṇaiḥ: arrows
• bāṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• daśayojanavistṛtam: spread over ten yojanas
• daśayojanavistṛtam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśa (संख्या) + yojana (प्रातिपदिक) + vistṛta (कृदन्त; √stṛ/√vṛt)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (मात्रा-निर्देश): ‘daśa-yojana’ (dvigu-like numeral measure) + ‘vistṛta’ = ‘extended to ten yojanas’

Speaker

Narrator (unidentified) describing Śrī Rāma’s act affecting the Setu landscape

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu-mārga / tīrtha-mārga (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The hero releases a storm of sharp arrows, slicing through a vast famed barrier/formation across the middle land, opening a corridor.

Characters & Entities

• Raghūttama (Śrī Rāma)
• Bāṇa (arrows)
• Yojana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic tīrthas are presented as landscapes shaped by divine action, making geography itself a carrier of sacred memory and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-madhya and the Rāmeśvara-associated sacred terrain within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a topographical-legendary description.