Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

किं कुर्म इत्युवाचेदमस्मिन्काले विधीयताम् । सर्वैस्तत्संविदं कृत्वा वाहिनीं चतुरङ्गिणीम्

Transliteration

kiṃ kurma ityuvācedamasminkāle vidhīyatām | sarvaistatsaṃvidaṃ kṛtvā vāhinīṃ caturaṅgiṇīm

Translation

Er sprach: „Was sollen wir tun? In dieser Stunde geschehe, was angemessen ist.“ Dann, nach Beratung mit allen, stellte er ein viergliedriges Heer bereit.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Interrogative pronoun, Accusative (2nd), Singular; वाक्ये प्रश्नार्थक

• कुर्मः: shall we do / do we do
• कुर्मः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present, 1st person, Plural

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्य-समाप्ति-अव्यय — quotative particle

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Pronoun, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — 1st person pronoun, Locative (7th), Singular

• काले: time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular

• विधीयताम्: let it be arranged
• विधीयताम्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-√धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular, Passive/Atmanepada: ‘let it be done/arranged’

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Agent group/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; ‘by all’

• तत्संविदम्: that agreement/plan
• तत्संविदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् + संविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे ‘तत्-सम्विद्’ = that agreement/plan

• कृत्वा: having made
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय-भाव — gerund/absolutive: ‘having done/made’

• वाहिनीम्: army/force
• वाहिनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• चतुरङ्गिणीम्: fourfold (with four divisions)
• चतुरङ्गिणीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + अङ्गिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (चत्वारि अङ्गानि यस्याः)

Speaker

Narrator (within Revā Khaṇḍa context; exact speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, now composed, speaks to ministers and priests; a council forms; behind them, troops assemble—elephants, horses, chariots hinted as silhouettes.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Caturaṅgiṇī vāhinī (fourfold army)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires timely action guided by counsel; power is to be organized for protection and justice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse advances the Revā Khaṇḍa storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes strategic counsel and mobilization rather than ritual.