Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

किं करोमि क्व गच्छामि कथं शुद्धिर्भवेन्मम । प्रायश्चित्तं करिष्यामि यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुष्करम्

Transliteration

kiṃ karomi kva gacchāmi kathaṃ śuddhirbhavenmama | prāyaścittaṃ kariṣyāmi yadyapi syātsuduṣkaram

Translation

“ମୁଁ କ’ଣ କରିବି, କେଉଁଠି ଯିବି? ମୋର ଶୁଦ୍ଧି କିପରି ହେବ? ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ଦୁଷ୍କର ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ମୁଁ ପ୍ରାୟଶ୍ଚିତ୍ତ କରିବି।”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (what)

• करोमि: do I do
• करोमि: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी (1st person singular)

• क्व: where
• क्व: अधिकरण (देशाधिकरण / place)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of place)

• गच्छामि: do I go
• गच्छामि: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी (1st person singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb of manner)

• शुद्धिः: purification
• शुद्धिः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• भवेत्: may occur, may be
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी (3rd person singular: 'may be')

• मम: of me, my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: 'of me')

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation, penance
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• करिष्यामि: I will do
• करिष्यामि: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी (1st person singular)

• यद्यपि: even if
• यद्यपि: सम्बन्ध (concessive connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि+अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वय-अव्यय (concessive: 'even if')

• स्यात्: should be
• स्यात्: क्रिया (Subordinate verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदी (3rd person singular: 'should be')

• सुदुष्करम्: very difficult
• सुदुष्करम्: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु+दुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

Speaker

Repentant man (character within the story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary pilgrim at the edge of night, hands clasped in anxious resolve, asking where to go for purification; the road toward a sacred waterbody is hinted in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is upheld by resolve: when one falls, one must actively seek purification through prescribed means.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question anticipates the answer given by the narrative: Śaṃkhatīrtha is approached for purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiation) is explicitly resolved upon, though details follow in subsequent verses.