Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कं वा शरणमाश्रये । को वा मां त्रायते लोके पतंती नरकार्णवे

Transliteration

kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kaṃ vā śaraṇamāśraye | ko vā māṃ trāyate loke pataṃtī narakārṇave

Translation

Was soll ich tun, wohin soll ich gehen, und wessen Zuflucht soll ich suchen? Wer in dieser Welt wird mich retten, da ich im Ozean der Hölle versinke?

Word by Word

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

• करोमि: do I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — ‘I do’

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adverbial modifier (देशवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb) — ‘where’

• गच्छामि: do I go
• गच्छामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘I go’

• कम्: whom
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — विकल्पार्थक ‘or’/emphatic

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘refuge’

• आश्रये: do I resort to
• आश्रये: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘I take refuge’

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — विकल्प/अनुनासिक बल

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘me’

• त्रायते: will save/protect
• त्रायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘protects/saves’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — ‘in the world’

• पतन्ती: (me) falling
• पतन्ती: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘(me) falling’

• नरकार्णवे: in the ocean of hell
• नरकार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नरकस्य अर्णवः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — ‘in the ocean of hell’

Speaker

A remorseful sinner/supplicant woman (unnamed in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A desperate supplicant, overwhelmed, imagines sinking into a dark ocean labeled ‘hell,’ hands raised in questioning—seeking a savior.

Characters & Entities

• Śaraṇa
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When karma’s consequences are recognized, the right response is humble surrender and seeking a true refuge grounded in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse stresses existential refuge rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces the need for guidance, confession, and atonement.