Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 85

Devanagari script

शृणुष्वाव हितो राम श्रुत्वा कर्तव्यमाचर । यद्याज्ञया ते शुष्यामि ससैन्यस्य यियासतः

Transliteration

śṛṇuṣvāva hito rāma śrutvā kartavyamācara | yadyājñayā te śuṣyāmi sasainyasya yiyāsataḥ

Translation

ข้าแต่พระราม จงสดับเพื่อความเกื้อกูลแก่พระองค์; ครั้นสดับแล้ว จงกระทำสิ่งอันควรกระทำ หากด้วยพระบัญชาของพระองค์ ข้าจักเหือดแห้ง เพื่อกองทัพที่ปรารถนาจะยกไปข้าม…

Word by Word

• śṛṇuṣva: listen
• śṛṇuṣva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (2nd person singular, Ātmanepada)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• hitaḥ: beneficial; wholesome
• hitaḥ: Sambodhana-vākya-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक; √dhā + kta/निष्पन्न)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषण

• rāma: O Rāma
• rāma: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (श्रु धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• kartavyam: what should be done; duty
• kartavyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kartavya (प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ + tavya)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Acc/Nom, Singular)

• ācara: perform; practice
• ācara: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√car (चर् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (2nd person singular)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• ājñayā: by (your) command
• ājñayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive/Dative, Singular); अत्र षष्ठी (your)

• śuṣyāmi: I dry up; I will become dry
• śuṣyāmi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śuṣ (शुष् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन (1st person singular)

• sa-sainyasya: of (him) with his army
• sa-sainyasya: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/सम्-समासोपपद) + sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-सम्बन्धे, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सहार्थक-तत्पुरुषः (with the army)

• yiyāsataḥ: of one who wishes to go
• yiyāsataḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √yā (या धातु) + san (सन्)
• Form: सन्नन्त-धातोः वर्तमानकाले शतृ/शानच्-सम्भवः; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular); ‘going/desiring to go’

Speaker

Samudra (Varuṇa; Lord of the Ocean)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setubandha / Setu-tīra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rāma (Rāghava)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ocean deity speaks with palms joined, advising Rāma for his welfare; the vānaras wait, poised for action, while waves calm as if listening.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Samudra (Ocean)
• Rāma’s army

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right action follows right listening: dharmic success comes through counsel, discernment, and appropriate method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram, where the ocean’s guidance becomes part of the site’s sacred memory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse introduces practical instruction (kartavya) rather than a rite.