Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तूष्णींभूतस्तदा चेंद्रश्चिंतया परया युतः । किं कार्यं किमकार्यं वा इतींद्रो नाविदत्तदा

Transliteration

tūṣṇīṃbhūtastadā ceṃdraściṃtayā parayā yutaḥ | kiṃ kāryaṃ kimakāryaṃ vā itīṃdro nāvidattadā

Translation

Alors Indra demeura silencieux, plongé dans une profonde pensée. «Que faut-il faire, et que ne faut-il pas faire ?»—ainsi, en ce temps-là, Indra ne put se décider.

Word by Word

• तूष्णींभूतः: having become silent
• तूष्णींभूतः: Kartā (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tūṣṇīm-bhūta (प्रातिपदिक; तूष्णीम् + भूत)
• Form: कृदन्त (भू धातोः क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (तूष्णीम् इति) (nom. sg.)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• चिन्तया: by thought
• चिन्तया: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• परया: supreme / intense
• परया: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (instr. sg.)

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Kartā (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (प्रातिपदिक; युज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (युज् धातोः क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object, implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• कार्यम्: to be done / duty
• कार्यम्: Karman (Object, deliberated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object, implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अकार्यम्: not to be done / improper act
• अकार्यम्: Karman (Object, deliberated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kārya (प्रातिपदिक; अ + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समाससदृश नकार (negated) (nom./acc. sg.)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• अविदत्: knew / understood
• अविदत्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. imperfect)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, struck by uncertainty, becomes silent amid battle—eyes lowered, mind turning over what is right and wrong, while chaos continues around him.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, even the mighty must pause for dharmic discernment; right action depends on viveka (clear discrimination).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha praise appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.