Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

श्रीराम उवाच । कुर्वतो देवकार्यं ते मम कार्यं च कुर्वतः । ततोऽहमपि पापीयांस्तपस्तप्स्याम्यसंशयम्

Transliteration

śrīrāma uvāca | kurvato devakāryaṃ te mama kāryaṃ ca kurvataḥ | tato'hamapi pāpīyāṃstapastapsyāmyasaṃśayam

Translation

Śrī Rāma sprach: „Während du das Werk der Devas vollbrachtest und zugleich meinen Auftrag erfülltest, muss ich selbst noch stärker mit Sünde beladen worden sein; darum werde ich ohne Zweifel Tapas, strenge Askese, auf mich nehmen.“

Word by Word

• श्रीरामः: Śrī Rāma
• श्रीरामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् रामः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कुर्वतः: of you (while) doing
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; ‘of you who are doing’

• देवकार्यं: divine work
• देवकार्यं: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां कार्यम्)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Genitive/Dative 6th/4th), एकवचन; एतस्मिन् वाक्ये षष्ठी (your)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• कार्यं: task/work
• कार्यं: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कुर्वतः: of you doing
• कुर्वतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति बलार्था

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: Hetu/Sequence marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय/तद्-प्रभव)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थ/अनन्तरार्थ (therefore/then)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• पापीयान्: more sinful/worse
• पापीयान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + ईयसुन् (तद्धित/तुलनात्मक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-विशेषण (comparative: ‘more sinful/worse’)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• तप्स्यामि: I will perform austerity
• तप्स्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ (नञ्) + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Śrī Rāma

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śrī Rāma speaks with grave serenity to Hanumān, acknowledging the weight of sin and resolving to perform austerity; the mood is introspective and dharmic.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Rāma
• Hanumān (implied addressee)
• Devas (gods)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the righteous model humility: when cosmic duties are carried out, one still embraces tapas as a discipline of purification and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it prepares for Rāma’s austerities connected to the Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas in the surrounding verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tapas (austerity) is declared as the chosen means of purification.