Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

किं पतामि गिरेः शृंगाद्विषं वा भक्षयामि किम् । त्रैलोक्यराज्यविभ्रष्टो नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे

Transliteration

kiṃ patāmi gireḥ śṛṃgādviṣaṃ vā bhakṣayāmi kim | trailokyarājyavibhraṣṭo nāhaṃ jīvitumutsahe

Translation

ମୁଁ କି ପର୍ବତଶୃଙ୍ଗରୁ ପଡ଼ିଯିବି, ନା କି ବିଷ ଭକ୍ଷଣ କରିବି? ତ୍ରିଲୋକରାଜ୍ୟରୁ ଭ୍ରଷ୍ଟ ହୋଇ ମୋତେ ବଞ୍ଚିବାକୁ ଇଚ୍ଛା ହୁଏନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• किम्: why/what (shall I do)
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)

• पतामि: shall I fall
• पतामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• गिरेः: of a mountain
• गिरेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• शृङ्गात्: from the peak
• शृङ्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शृङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• विषम्: poison
• विषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle)

• भक्षयामि: shall I eat
• भक्षयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• त्रैलोक्य-राज्य-विभ्रष्टः: fallen from the sovereignty of the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्य-राज्य-विभ्रष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक) + राज्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विभ्रष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (त्रैलोक्यस्य राज्यात् विभ्रष्टः)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• जीवितुम्: to live
• जीवितुम्: Prayojana (Purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable infinitive)

• उत्सहे: I am able / I dare
• उत्सहे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (धातु) + उत् (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Śakra (Indra/Vāsava)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: peak

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śakra, stripped of cosmic confidence, stands at a cliff edge with stormy sky; vajra lowered, eyes burning with grief, contemplating poison or the fall.

Characters & Entities

• Tri-loka (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Despair is not the solution; Purāṇic dharma redirects crisis toward repentance and a prescribed path of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets the emotional turning point before the tīrtha-instruction is revealed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it expresses suicidal impulses that are later countered by divine instruction.