Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

किं करोमि सुरश्रेष्ठ ध्यातः केनैव हेतुना । करोमि कस्य निधनमकाले परमेश्वर

Transliteration

kiṃ karomi suraśreṣṭha dhyātaḥ kenaiva hetunā | karomi kasya nidhanamakāle parameśvara

Translation

“โอ้ผู้ประเสริฐยิ่งในหมู่เทพ ข้าพเจ้าควรกระทำสิ่งใด? ด้วยเหตุใดจึงทรงเรียกข้าพเจ้าด้วยฌาน? โอ้ปรเมศวร ข้าพเจ้าจะก่อมรณกรรมก่อนกาลแก่ผู้ใด?”

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सुरश्रेष्ठ: O best of the gods
• सुरश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; ‘सुराणां श्रेष्ठः’

• ध्यातः: (I am) meditated upon / invoked
• ध्यातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘(अहं) ध्यातः’ = ‘I have been meditated upon / invoked’

• केन: by whom / by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Modifier (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• हेतुना: by what reason, due to what cause
• हेतुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• निधनम्: death, destruction
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अकाले: at an untimely time
• अकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; कालवाचक

• परमेश्वर: O Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; ‘परमः ईश्वरः’

Speaker

Vṛṣa (bull-form attendant/manifestation addressing Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Parameśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The manifested bull bows or stands alert before Śiva, speaking with reverence, asking what task to perform and whose untimely death is intended.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara (Śiva)
• Vṛṣa (bull-form)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights accountability in action: even powerful agents seek dharmic clarity before executing a divine command.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) cycle; the immediate verse is narrative setup rather than direct tīrtha praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse frames a question about purpose and dharma rather than prescribing a vow or rite.