Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शोषयामि समुद्रान् किं चूर्णयामि च पर्वतान् । अवनिं वेष्टयामीति पातये किं नभस्तलम्

Transliteration

śoṣayāmi samudrān kiṃ cūrṇayāmi ca parvatān | avaniṃ veṣṭayāmīti pātaye kiṃ nabhastalam

Translation

ସେ କହିଲା—“ମୁଁ କି ସମୁଦ୍ରମାନଙ୍କୁ ଶୋଷିଦେବି? ପର୍ବତମାନଙ୍କୁ ଚୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ କରିଦେବି? ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ବେଷ୍ଟନ କରିବି? କିମ୍ବା ନଭମଣ୍ଡଳକୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ପତିତ କରିଦେବି?”

Word by Word

• शोषयामि: shall I dry up
• शोषयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (धातु; √शुष्) caus. शोषय्
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 1st person, singular; causative

• समुद्रान्: oceans
• समुद्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; interrogative

• चूर्णयामि: shall I pulverize
• चूर्णयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चूर्णय् (धातु; denom. from चूर्ण)
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 1st person, singular

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

• पर्वतान्: mountains
• पर्वतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अवनिम्: the earth
• अवनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वेष्टयामि: shall I encircle/wrap
• वेष्टयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वेष्ट् (धातु; √वेष्ट्) caus. वेष्टय्
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 1st person, singular; causative/intensive sense “to wrap/enclose”

• इति: thus
• इति: Quotation marker (इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-समाप्ति निपात — quotative particle

• पातये: shall I bring down / let me cast down
• पातये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु; √पत्) caus. पातय्
• Form: लोट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 1st person, singular; causative (“let me cause to fall / shall I bring down”)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; interrogative

• नभः-तलम्: the surface of the sky, the firmament
• नभः-तलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नभस् (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नभसः तलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Kṛtyā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The fiery maiden gestures expansively, as if indicating oceans drying, mountains crumbling, the earth encircled by flame, and the sky itself falling—visions of catastrophic capability hovering behind her.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛtyā
• Oceans
• Mountains
• Earth
• Sky

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Unchecked power tends toward total destruction; dharma is the necessary boundary for shakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse uses cosmic imagery to emphasize potency.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a declaration of potential acts by the manifested force.