Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अन्ये सुरा सुराः कुत्र भस्मीभूता लयं गताः । अत ऊर्ध्वं किमभवत्तत्सर्वं वक्तुमर्हसि

Transliteration

anye surā surāḥ kutra bhasmībhūtā layaṃ gatāḥ | ata ūrdhvaṃ kimabhavattatsarvaṃ vaktumarhasi

Translation

Wo blieben die anderen Götter und die Asuras, nachdem sie zu Asche geworden und in die Auflösung eingegangen waren? Und was geschah danach—sage uns dies alles, wie es sich ziemt.

Word by Word

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सुराः: gods
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सुराः: gods (again)
• सुराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पुनरुक्ति/समुच्चयार्थे

• कुत्र: where?
• कुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb; ‘where’)

• भस्मीभूताः: turned to ashes
• भस्मीभूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्मीभूत (कृदन्त; भस्मन् + भू (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• लयम्: dissolution
• लयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म

• गताः: went / attained
• गताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गच्छ् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past active participle) — ‘गता’

• अतः: thereafter / therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (therefore/from that)

• ऊर्ध्वम्: after that
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kala/Desha (Temporal/Directional adjunct)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/दिशा-वाचक अव्यय (afterwards/upwards); अत्र ‘thereafter’

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

• अभवत्: happened / became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशक (that)

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समस्त/समग्र

• वक्तुम्: to tell
• वक्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-रूप (infinitive) — ‘वक्तुं’

• अर्हसि: you ought / you are fit
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sages (Munis) addressing Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: the prospective narrator (Sūta/Lomaśa context to follow)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages press further: where did all devas and asuras go after becoming ash? The composition shows ash drifting into a vast void, with faint silhouettes of celestial beings dissolving, while the sages’ faces show urgency and solemnity.

Characters & Entities

• Surās
• Asurās
• Laya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The wise seek a complete account of dharmic cosmology—what dissolves, what remains, and how order is restored.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None explicitly; this is a narrative inquiry within Kedāra Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.