Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 41
Devanagari script
कस्य मूर्ध्नि पतिष्यामि घातयामि च कं द्विज । शीघ्रमादिश्यतां कार्यं मा मे कालात्ययो भवेत्
Transliteration
kasya mūrdhni patiṣyāmi ghātayāmi ca kaṃ dvija | śīghramādiśyatāṃ kāryaṃ mā me kālātyayo bhavet
Translation
「誰の頭上に落ちましょうか。誰を討ち滅ぼしましょう、婆羅門よ。時を空しくせぬよう、速やかに務めをお命じください。」
Word by Word
कस्यof whom / whose
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular; interrogative
मूर्ध्निon the head
मूर्ध्नि:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootमूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular
पतिष्यामिshall I fall
पतिष्यामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootपत् (धातु; √पत्)
Formलृट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Simple future, 1st person, singular
घातयामिshall I slay/kill
घातयामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु; √हन्) caus. घातय्
Formलट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 1st person, singular; causative (“cause to be killed/strike down”)
चand
च:
Connector (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction
कम्whom
कम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; interrogative
द्विजO twice-born (brahmin)
द्विज:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular
शीघ्रम्quickly
शीघ्रम्:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootशीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाव)
Formक्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb
आदिश्यताम्let (it) be commanded
आदिश्यताम्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआ + दिश् (धातु; √दिश्)
Formलोट्, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (आत्मनेपद), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, passive, 3rd person singular: “let it be instructed/commanded”
कार्यम्the task, what is to be done
कार्यम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + यत्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular
माdo not / lest
मा:
Negation (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमा (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle) — prohibitive
मेmy / for me
मे:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular; enclitic pronoun
काल-अत्ययःpassing of time, delay
काल-अत्ययः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकाल (प्रातिपदिक) + अत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य अत्ययः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular
भवेत्may occur / should happen
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु; √भू)
Formविधिलिङ् (परस्मैपद), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, singular
Speaker
Kṛtyā
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The flame-maiden leans forward, intense and impatient, asking on whose head she should fall and whom to strike; the brāhmaṇa stands at the fire altar, caught between command and conscience.
Characters & Entities
K
KṛtyāD
Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)FAQs
Those who can command forces (ritual or social) bear moral responsibility for how they are directed.
None explicitly; the verse is part of a narrative exchange within the Revā Khaṇḍa.
No prescription; it reflects the aftermath of a rite where a summoned entity awaits instruction.