Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तूष्णींभूतस्तदा चेंद्रश्चिंतया परया युतः । किं कार्यं किमकार्यं वा इतींद्रो नाविदत्तदा

Transliteration

tūṣṇīṃbhūtastadā ceṃdraściṃtayā parayā yutaḥ | kiṃ kāryaṃ kimakāryaṃ vā itīṃdro nāvidattadā

Translation

Ketika itu Indra terdiam, tenggelam dalam renungan yang mendalam. “Apa yang harus dilakukan, dan apa yang tidak patut dilakukan?”—demikian Indra tidak dapat memutuskan pada saat itu.

Word by Word

• तूष्णींभूतः: having become silent
• तूष्णींभूतः: Kartā (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tūṣṇīm-bhūta (प्रातिपदिक; तूष्णीम् + भूत)
• Form: कृदन्त (भू धातोः क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (तूष्णीम् इति) (nom. sg.)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• चिन्तया: by thought
• चिन्तया: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cintā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instr. sg.)

• परया: supreme / intense
• परया: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (instr. sg.)

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Kartā (Subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuta (प्रातिपदिक; युज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (युज् धातोः क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object, implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• कार्यम्: to be done / duty
• कार्यम्: Karman (Object, deliberated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom./acc. sg.)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karman (Object, implied)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अकार्यम्: not to be done / improper act
• अकार्यम्: Karman (Object, deliberated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kārya (प्रातिपदिक; अ + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-समाससदृश नकार (negated) (nom./acc. sg.)

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Kartā (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nom. sg.)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negative particle)

• अविदत्: knew / understood
• अविदत्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. imperfect)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, struck by uncertainty, becomes silent amid battle—eyes lowered, mind turning over what is right and wrong, while chaos continues around him.

Characters & Entities

• Indra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In crisis, even the mighty must pause for dharmic discernment; right action depends on viveka (clear discrimination).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No direct tīrtha praise appears in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.