Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

वेदाटवीपतिं नत्वा भक्तिप्रवणचेतसा । सुदर्शनेन सहितः सेतुमुद्दिश्य निर्ययौ

Transliteration

vedāṭavīpatiṃ natvā bhaktipravaṇacetasā | sudarśanena sahitaḥ setumuddiśya niryayau

Translation

Dengan hati yang tunduk dalam bhakti, dia menunduk sujud kepada Penguasa Vedāṭavī; kemudian bersama Sudarśana dia berangkat, menghala langkah menuju Setu yang suci.

Word by Word

• वेदाटवीपतिम्: the lord of the Veda-forest
• वेदाटवीपतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + अटवी + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—वेदाटवी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) + पतिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• नत्वा: having bowed
• नत्वा: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having bowed’

• भक्तिप्रवणचेतसा: with a mind inclined to devotion
• भक्तिप्रवणचेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + प्रवण + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग? (चेतस्—नपुं), तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समासः—भक्त्या प्रवणं चेतः यस्य (कर्मधारय-समासः)

• सुदर्शनेन: with Sudarśana
• सुदर्शनेन: Sahakari/Karana (Accompaniment/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (सह/करण), एकवचन

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहित (प्रातिपदिक; √सह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘accompanied’

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

• उद्दिश्य: having set out towards
• उद्दिश्य: Kriya (Purpose/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + दिश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having aimed at/heading towards’

• निर्ययौ: departed
• निर्ययौ: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर् + या (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; (perfect) ‘went out/departed’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator; implied)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sage with folded hands bows to a forest-lord shrine beneath ancient trees; beside him stands Sudarśana as a radiant companion; in the distance the sea-horizon and the line of Setu beckon.

Characters & Entities

• Vedāṭavīpati (deity/lord of Vedāṭavī)
• Sudarśana
• Setu (Setu-kṣetra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes fruitful when preceded by reverence (namaskāra) and bhakti, aligning travel with sacred intention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra (Setu/Setubandha, associated with Rāmeśvara tradition) is explicitly the destination; Vedāṭavī is also invoked.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing) to the presiding lord of the sacred forest is implied as devotional practice before departure.