Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28
Devanagari script
किं कर्तव्यं मया विप्र उपायं कथयस्व मे
Transliteration
kiṃ kartavyaṃ mayā vipra upāyaṃ kathayasva me
Translation
„O Brahmane, was soll ich tun? Sage mir einen Weg der Sühne.“
Word by Word
kimwhat
kim:
Karman (Object of inquiry/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nominative/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक
kartavyamto be done / should be done
kartavyam:
Karman (Predicate complement/कर्म)
TypeVerb
Root√kṛ (धातु)
Formतव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः—कर्तव्यम् (what should be done)
mayāby me
mayā:
Kartr̥ (Agent in obligation/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन
vipraO Brahmin
vipra:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootvipra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन
upāyammeans, remedy
upāyam:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootupāya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन
kathayasvatell
kathayasva:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√kath (धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी
meto me
me:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formचतुर्थी (Dative) एकवचन (enclitic)
Speaker
Citrasena
Tirtha Mahatmya
Tirtha: Revā-kshetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Sage-audience (frame implied)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A king with folded hands addresses a brāhmaṇa-sage: ‘What must I do? Tell me the means.’ The moment is quiet, centered on inquiry and surrender.
Characters & Entities
C
CitrasenaFAQs
When overwhelmed by wrongdoing, one should actively seek dharmic counsel rather than hide or rationalize.
Not specified in the verse; the chapter’s setting in Revākhaṇḍa anticipates a remedy linked to Revā/Narmadā.
Only the request for an upāya; the concrete prescription appears in subsequent verses.