Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

किं कार्यं चाद्य कर्तव्यं कथं श्रेयो भविष्यति । देवानां चाद्य लोकानामृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्

Transliteration

kiṃ kāryaṃ cādya kartavyaṃ kathaṃ śreyo bhaviṣyati | devānāṃ cādya lokānāmṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām

Translation

‘ഇന്ന് എന്ത് ചെയ്യണം, ഏത് മാർഗം സ്വീകരിക്കണം? ദേവന്മാർക്കും ലോകങ്ങൾക്കും ആത്മസംയമമുള്ള ഋഷിമാർക്കും ശ്രേയസ് എങ്ങനെ ഉണ്ടാകും?’

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• कार्यम्: task/duty
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ धातोः यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘a task/what is to be done’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय; conjunction

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय; adverb of time

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done/necessary
• कर्तव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कर्तव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be done’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक अव्यय; interrogative adverb

• श्रेयः: welfare/the best course
• श्रेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘the better/good’

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल/Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय; conjunction

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-vishesana (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय; adverb of time

• लोकानाम्: of the worlds/people
• लोकानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• ऋषीणाम्: of the sages
• ऋषीणाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• भावितात्मनाम्: of the self-disciplined/purified-souled
• भावितात्मनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक); भावित (भू धातोः क्त) + आत्मन्
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; ‘of those whose selves are purified/controlled’; compound qualifies ऋषीणाम्

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (as internal deliberation, within Sūta’s narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (viplavāḥ addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bṛhaspati voices a measured question to the assembly—what action today will bring welfare to gods, worlds, and sages—while devas listen in tense silence.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Lokas (worlds)
• Ṛṣis

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In turmoil, dharmic intelligence asks first what action brings śreya—true welfare for all beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named in this verse; it functions as narrative counsel within Kedārakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the focus is ethical deliberation and welfare-oriented action.