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

«Ô Śambhu, quelle faute a-t-il commise ? Dis-moi la vérité telle qu’elle est : par quoi est-il parvenu à cet état qui mène à la perte de la vie ?»

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.