Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

दंतान्प्राघर्षयन्सर्वान्न्यपीडंश्च करैः करान् । परस्परं भाषमाणाः कथं कुर्मो वयं त्वितः

Transliteration

daṃtānprāgharṣayansarvānnyapīḍaṃśca karaiḥ karān | parasparaṃ bhāṣamāṇāḥ kathaṃ kurmo vayaṃ tvitaḥ

Translation

Grinding all their teeth and clenching hand against hand, they spoke among themselves: “What shall we do now, from here?”

Word by Word

• दन्तान्: teeth
• दन्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्राघर्षयन्: grinding (their teeth)
• प्राघर्षयन्: Karta (Subject-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√घर्ष् (धातु; √घर्ष्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; (he/they) rubbing/grinding

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दन्तान्)

• न्यपीडन्: they pressed/squeezed
• न्यपीडन्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√पीड् (धातु; √पीड्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• करैः: with (their) hands
• करैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• करान्: hands (of each other)
• करान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन (Plural)

• परस्परम्: mutually/each other
• परस्परम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्परम् (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: अव्यय; परस्पर-अर्थे (reciprocal adverb: mutually)

• भाषमाणाः: speaking
• भाषमाणाः: Karta (Subject-participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भाष् (धातु; √भाष्)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त (present middle participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद-भाव

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Interrogative modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb: how)

• कुर्मः: do we do / shall we do
• कुर्मः: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु; √कृ)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Contrast/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• इतः: from here
• इतः: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/अपादानार्थक (ablatival adverb: from here)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Dharmāraṇya narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Men in a tight circle, jaws clenched, teeth bared slightly; fists pressed into palms; animated discussion with tense gestures; a sense of ‘what now?’ urgency.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It shows how agitation and anger push people into anxious, reactive planning rather than calm dharmic discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative description of emotional turmoil and discussion.