Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

कुतो लब्धमिदं शौर्यं धैर्यं तेजो बलोन्नतिः । जिगीषसीव लोकांस्त्रीन्सदेवासुरमानुषान्

Transliteration

kuto labdhamidaṃ śauryaṃ dhairyaṃ tejo balonnatiḥ | jigīṣasīva lokāṃstrīnsadevāsuramānuṣān

Translation

Woher hast du dieses Heldentum erlangt—diese standhafte Tapferkeit, diesen Glanz und dieses Anwachsen der Kraft—durch die du scheinbar bereit bist, die drei Welten zu bezwingen, samt Devas, Asuras und Menschen?

Word by Word

• कुतः: from where; how
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-निपात/प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण) = interrogative adverb ‘whence/why’

• लब्धम्: obtained
• लब्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘obtained’ (agreeing with इदम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शौर्यम्: valor
• शौर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धैर्यम्: steadfastness
• धैर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेजः: splendor; energy
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बलोन्नतिः: increase of strength
• बलोन्नतिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + उन्नति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘बलस्य उन्नतिः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जिगीषसि: you desire to conquer
• जिगीषसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + सन् (इच्छार्थ) → जिगीष (धातु-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; सन्नन्त (desiderative) ‘you wish to conquer’

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-निपात)

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (लोकान् विशेषयति)

• सदेवासुरमानुषान्: together with gods, demons, and humans
• सदेवासुरमानुषान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ ‘सहित’) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सहितार्थ: ‘देवासुरमानुषैः सह’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (लोकान् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests the king/father addressing Bhadrāyu)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical Purāṇic frame; not explicit in this single verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, astonished, addresses a radiant young hero whose posture and aura suggest readiness to subdue the three worlds; courtiers watch in tense admiration.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrāyu
• deva
• asura
• mānuṣa
• triloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True strength (tejas and dhairya) is recognized as extraordinary and worthy of inquiry; power should be examined for its source and purpose within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of a narrative dialogue emphasizing valor and capability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive and interrogative, not ritual-instructional.