Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

किमेतत्क्रियते विप्राः कर्म रौद्रतमं महत् । त्रैलोक्यं व्याकुलं येन सर्वमेतद्व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

kimetatkriyate viprāḥ karma raudratamaṃ mahat | trailokyaṃ vyākulaṃ yena sarvametadvyavasthitam

Translation

โอ้เหล่าฤๅษีพราหมณ์ นี่กำลังกระทำสิ่งใดกัน—กรรมอันยิ่งใหญ่ซึ่งให้ผลรุนแรงดุจรทร์—จนไตรโลกสั่นสะเทือนและความปั่นป่วนทั้งมวลนี้บังเกิดขึ้น?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma/Predicate (Contextual/प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नार्थक

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Predicate (Contextual/निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; निर्देशार्थक

• क्रियते: is being done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is being done)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• कर्म: deed/act
• कर्म: Karma/Predicate (Object/वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• रौद्रतमम्: most terrible
• रौद्रतमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तमप् (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तमप्-प्रत्यय (superlative)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma/Adhikarana (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समासः (त्रयः लोकाः = three worlds); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• व्याकुलम्: agitated/disturbed
• व्याकुलम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध/हेतु (by which)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta/Predicate (Contextual)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• व्यवस्थितम्: has been set/arranged
• व्यवस्थितम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; स्थित/नियत (arranged/settled)

Speaker

Dakṣa (addressing the sages, inferred from preceding verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣa stands at the edge of the hermitage, palms slightly open in questioning gesture; sages sit near a fire-altar, the air shimmering as if the three worlds are unsettled—winds swirl, animals pause, sky darkens subtly.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Vipras (brāhmaṇa sages)
• Trailokya (three worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great rites must align with dharma, because spiritual actions can ripple through the entire cosmos.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it functions within the Mahātmya narrative framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A ‘great and fierce act/rite’ is referenced, but without procedural details in this line.