Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

किं कर्तव्यं मयाद्येति दोलालोलमना अभूत् । स दृष्ट्वा भीमनिहतमश्वत्थामाभिधं गजम्

Transliteration

kiṃ kartavyaṃ mayādyeti dolālolamanā abhūt | sa dṛṣṭvā bhīmanihatamaśvatthāmābhidhaṃ gajam

Translation

“บัดนี้เราควรทำสิ่งใด?”—จิตของเขาหวั่นไหวไม่มั่นคง ครั้นเห็นช้างนามว่าอัศวัตถามา ซึ่งภีมะได้สังหารแล้ว ก็เกิดความลังเลครุ่นคิดขึ้น

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / duty
• कर्तव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य (gerundive), ‘to be done’

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• अद्य: today / now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• दोलालोलमना: one with a wavering mind
• दोलालोलमना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दोलā + लोल + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक); components: दोला-लोल-मनस्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘whose mind is wavering like a swing’

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘having seen’

• भीम-निहतम्: slain by Bhima
• भीम-निहतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीम (प्रातिपदिक) + निहत (कृदन्त, √हन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (agentive sense): ‘slain by Bhīma’

• अश्वत्थामा-अभिधम्: named ‘Ashvatthama’
• अश्वत्थामा-अभिधम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वत्थामा (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘named Aśvatthāmā’

• गजम्: elephant
• गजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tense battlefield moment: Yudhiṣṭhira stands with a troubled, wavering gaze; nearby lies the slain elephant Aśvatthāmā; dust, broken chariots, and distant warriors frame the moral crisis.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīma
• Aśvatthāmā (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights dharma-saṃkaṭa—when the mind wavers in confusion, one should seek clarity through truthfulness, discernment, and adherence to righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to Setukhaṇḍa (Setu Māhātmya), associated with the sacred Setu-kṣetra (Rāmeśvaram/Setubandha tradition), though this particular verse is a narrative moment rather than direct tīrtha-praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse; it is narrative and focuses on inner conflict and recognition of an event (the slain elephant).