Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 92

Devanagari script

इति निश्चित्य प्रोवाच कालभीतिर्नरं च तम् । सत्यमेत्किं तु कुंभपयसा गर्तपूरणे

Transliteration

iti niścitya provāca kālabhītirnaraṃ ca tam | satyametkiṃ tu kuṃbhapayasā gartapūraṇe

Translation

Ayant ainsi tranché, Kālabhīti dit à cet homme : «C’est vrai ; mais que peut-on faire, avec une seule jarre d’eau, pour combler une fosse ?»

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यर्थे (quotative particle: “thus”)

• निश्चित्य: having decided
• निश्चित्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि√चि (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having ascertained/decided)

• प्रोवाच: said
• प्रोवाच: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कालभीतिः: Kālabhīti (name/personified fear of time)
• कालभीतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालभीति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st case); एकवचन

• नरम्: to the man
• नरम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case); एकवचन

• सत्यम्: true
• सत्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Predicative complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case); एकवचन; वाक्ये विधेय (predicative)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Karman (Contextual: “this” as subject/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/however)

• कुंभपयसा: with pot-water
• कुंभपयसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुंभ + पयस (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कुंभस्य पयसा = “with water of a pot”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (पयस); तृतीया (3rd case); एकवचन

• गर्तपूरणे: in the filling of the pit
• गर्तपूरणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त + पूरण (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (गर्तस्य पूरणे = “in filling the pit”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th case); एकवचन

Speaker

Kālabhīti

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense roadside/forest dialogue: Kālabhīti, having resolved something, addresses a man; he gestures toward a pit and a small water-pot, questioning the feasibility of filling it.

Characters & Entities

• Kālabhīti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It raises the dharmic doubt: can a small offering produce great merit—setting up the Purāṇic answer that sincere intent and sacred context magnify results.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is explicitly named in this verse; it belongs to a Śaiva māhātmya narrative within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The act under discussion is filling a pit (garta-pūraṇa), associated with water-offering/public utility.