Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

सेतुमध्ये चतुर्वक्त्रः सर्वदेवसमन्वितः । अध्यास्ते तस्य रक्षार्थमीश्वरस्याज्ञया सदा

Transliteration

setumadhye caturvaktraḥ sarvadevasamanvitaḥ | adhyāste tasya rakṣārthamīśvarasyājñayā sadā

Translation

No próprio meio do Setu está sentado Caturvaktra (Brahmā), acompanhado por todos os deuses, sempre ali postado para sua proteção, por ordem de Īśvara.

Word by Word

• सेतुमध्ये: in the middle of the bridge
• सेतुमध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेतुमध्य (प्रातिपदिक) = सेतु + मध्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी): ‘सेतोः मध्ये’

• चतुर्वक्त्रः: the four-faced one (Brahmā)
• चतुर्वक्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्वक्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) = चतुर् + वक्त्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगु/संख्यापूर्वपद): ‘चत्वारि वक्त्राणि यस्य’ (as a name/epithet)

• सर्वदेवसमन्वितः: accompanied by all the gods
• सर्वदेवसमन्वितः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वदेवसमन्वित (प्रातिपदिक) = सर्व + देव + समन्वित
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘सर्वैः देवैः समन्वितः’ (accompanied by all gods)

• अध्यास्ते: sits, presides
• अध्यास्ते: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/that (of the Lord)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षार्थ (प्रातिपदिक) = रक्षा + अर्थ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘रक्षायाः अर्थः’ (for the sake of protection)

• ईश्वरस्य: of the Lord
• ईश्वरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• आज्ञया: by the command
• आज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/means—by order/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Narrator of Setukhaṇḍa (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha (Rāmasetu) — Madhya-Setu locus

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Frame-audience of pilgrims/sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the Setu’s center, four-faced Brahmā seated on a lotus pedestal, surrounded by a retinue of devas, forming a protective mandala over the causeway amid the ocean.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturvaktra)
• All Devas
• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Rāmasetu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha is not merely physical geography; it is divinely protected and sustained by the will of the Supreme Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmasetu (Setubandha), described as divinely guarded at its center.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes the sanctity and protection of the site.