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

“ഞാൻ ആരുടെ തലയിൽ പതിക്കണം? ആരെ സംഹരിക്കണം, ഹേ ദ്വിജാ? എന്റെ കാലം വ്യർഥമാകാതിരിക്കാൻ കൃത്യം വേഗം ആജ്ഞാപിക്കണം.”

Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom / whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular; interrogative

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पतिष्यामि: shall I fall
• पतिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु; √पत्)
• Form: लृट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Simple future, 1st person, singular

• घातयामि: shall I slay/kill
• घातयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु; √हन्) caus. घातय्
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 1st person, singular; causative (“cause to be killed/strike down”)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

• कम्: whom
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular; interrogative

• द्विज: O twice-born (brahmin)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक-प्रयोगे अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb

• आदिश्यताम्: let (it) be commanded
• आदिश्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश् (धातु; √दिश्)
• Form: लोट्, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (आत्मनेपद), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, passive, 3rd person singular: “let it be instructed/commanded”

• कार्यम्: the task, what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• मा: do not / lest
• मा: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive particle) — prohibitive

• मे: my / for me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive, Singular; enclitic pronoun

• काल-अत्ययः: passing of time, delay
• काल-अत्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य अत्ययः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: may occur / should happen
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु; √भू)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (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

• Kṛtyā
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Those who can command forces (ritual or social) bear moral responsibility for how they are directed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; the verse is part of a narrative exchange within the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it reflects the aftermath of a rite where a summoned entity awaits instruction.