Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कं वा शरणमाश्रये । को वा मां त्रायते लोके पतंती नरकार्णवे

Transliteration

kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kaṃ vā śaraṇamāśraye | ko vā māṃ trāyate loke pataṃtī narakārṇave

Translation

ഞാൻ എന്തു ചെയ്യണം, എവിടെ പോകണം, ആരുടെ ശരണം ആശ്രയിക്കണം? നരകസമുദ്രത്തിൽ മുങ്ങുന്ന എന്നെ ഈ ലോകത്തിൽ ആരാണ് രക്ഷിക്കുക?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• करोमि: do I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन — ‘I do’

• क्व: where
• क्व: Adverbial modifier (देशवाचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb) — ‘where’

• गच्छामि: do I go
• गच्छामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘I go’

• कम्: whom
• कम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — विकल्पार्थक ‘or’/emphatic

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘refuge’

• आश्रये: do I resort to
• आश्रये: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘I take refuge’

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — प्रश्नार्थक

• वा: indeed/or
• वा: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात — विकल्प/अनुनासिक बल

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘me’

• त्रायते: will save/protect
• त्रायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्रा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘protects/saves’

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — ‘in the world’

• पतन्ती: (me) falling
• पतन्ती: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘(me) falling’

• नरकार्णवे: in the ocean of hell
• नरकार्णवे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक + अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नरकस्य अर्णवः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — ‘in the ocean of hell’

Speaker

A remorseful sinner/supplicant woman (unnamed in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A desperate supplicant, overwhelmed, imagines sinking into a dark ocean labeled ‘hell,’ hands raised in questioning—seeking a savior.

Characters & Entities

• Śaraṇa
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When karma’s consequences are recognized, the right response is humble surrender and seeking a true refuge grounded in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse stresses existential refuge rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it introduces the need for guidance, confession, and atonement.