Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

यदृच्छया च सप्राणाः पुनरप्या गताः पुरम् । अस्मिन्नित्थं गते कार्ये किं कर्तव्यं वदाधुना

Transliteration

yadṛcchayā ca saprāṇāḥ punarapyā gatāḥ puram | asminnitthaṃ gate kārye kiṃ kartavyaṃ vadādhunā

Translation

Hanya kerana kebetulan semata-mata mereka kembali ke kota masih bernyawa. Kini setelah urusan menjadi begini, katakanlah—apa yang harus dilakukan segera?

Word by Word

• yadṛcchayā: by chance, accidentally
• yadṛcchayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instrumental used adverbially)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• sa-prāṇāḥ: alive, with breath
• sa-prāṇāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन; सह-तत्पुरुषः (with life)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• api: also, even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (also/even)

• āgatāḥ: returned, came
• āgatāḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु) → āgata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालार्थे (past participle used predicatively)

• puram: to the city
• puram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• asmin: in this (situation)
• asmin: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (locative)

• ittham: thus, in this way
• ittham: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ittham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• gate: when (it) has happened, in the event of
• gate: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gam (धातु) → gata (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• kārye: in the matter/affair
• kārye: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी सह (locative absolute)

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

• kartavyam: to be done, what should be done
• kartavyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kartavya (कृदन्त, तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्—कर्तव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (gerundive: to be done)

• vada: tell (me)
• vada: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vad (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• adhunā: now
• adhunā: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

The King (rājā) addressing a dharma-advisor (contextual)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setu (Setutīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Survivors, drenched and shaken, re-enter the city gates; officials and citizens gather; a leader asks urgently what must be done now.

Characters & Entities

• the King (rājā)
• citizens (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is applied through timely, wise action—especially by rulers who must seek counsel and protect life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvaram) is the section’s sacred geography, though the verse is a governance dialogue rather than a direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on adjudication and the ruler’s responsibility.