Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

किमनेन कृतं शंभो अकृत्यं वद तत्त्वतः । य इमां प्राप्तितोऽवस्थां प्राणात्ययकरीं भव

Transliteration

kimanena kṛtaṃ śaṃbho akṛtyaṃ vada tattvataḥ | ya imāṃ prāptito'vasthāṃ prāṇātyayakarīṃ bhava

Translation

„O Śambhu, welche unerlaubte Tat hat er begangen? Sage mir die Wahrheit dem Wesen nach—wodurch gelangte er in diesen Zustand, der den Tod bringt?“

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अनेन: by this (one)
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/Result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘done’

• शंभो: O Śambhu
• शंभो: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• अकृत्यम्: a wrongful act
• अकृत्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वद: tell/say
• वद: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तत्त्वतः: truly
• तत्त्वतः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/सत्यवाचक (adverb: in truth)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्राप्तितः: upon reaching/through attainment
• प्राप्तितः: Hetu (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘from/through attainment’; here: ‘as a result of reaching’

• अवस्थाम्: condition/state
• अवस्थाम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवस्था (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्राणात्ययकरीम्: life-threatening
• प्राणात्ययकरीम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण + अत्यय + करिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्राणानाम् अत्ययः) + उपपद-समास (करी)

• भव: become / (please) be
• भव: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ/Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Rājā (the king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, anxious yet composed, asks Śiva about the wrongful act leading to a life-threatening state; Śiva listens with calm omniscience amid Himalayan stillness.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Kāla (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even overwhelming forces like death are questioned under dharma: actions have causes, and truth should be sought from the Lord.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, where dhārmic inquiry and Śiva’s explanations form part of the kṣetra’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a request for tattva (truth) regarding wrongdoing and consequence.