Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

भूतानि कानि विप्रेन्द्र कथं सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् । ब्रह्मविष्ण्विन्द्ररुद्राणां काले प्राप्ते सुदारुणे

Transliteration

bhūtāni kāni viprendra kathaṃ siddhimavāpnuyāt | brahmaviṣṇvindrarudrāṇāṃ kāle prāpte sudāruṇe

Translation

Ô le meilleur des brahmanes, quels sont ces êtres, et comment atteindre la perfection—surtout lorsque survient le temps extrêmement terrible, même pour Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra et Rudra ?

Word by Word

• भूतानि: beings
• भूतानि: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural)

• कानि: which (ones)
• कानि: Karma (Interrogative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural)

• विप्रेन्द्र: O chief of Brahmins
• विप्रेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र-इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; विप्र + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (masculine, vocative, singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सिद्धिम्: attainment, success
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine, accusative, singular)

• अवाप्नुयात्: might attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada)

• ब्रह्म: Brahmā
• ब्रह्म: Sambandha (Genitive relation via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (as member of compound)

• विष्णु: Viṣṇu
• विष्णु: Sambandha (Genitive relation via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (as member of compound)

• इन्द्र: Indra
• इन्द्र: Sambandha (Genitive relation via compound)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक-रूप (as member of compound)

• रुद्राणाम्: of Rudras
• रुद्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/Relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (masculine, genitive, plural)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (masculine, locative, singular)

• प्राप्ते: when (it has) come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Temporal qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; काले इति पदेन सह सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute-like/qualifying locative)

• सुदारुणे: very dreadful
• सुदारुणे: Adhikarana (Qualifier of time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दारुण (प्रातिपदिक; सु + दारुण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (masculine/neuter, locative, singular; adjective)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic cosmic tableau: shadow of Kāla looming; distant silhouettes of deities (Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Indra, Rudra) acknowledging the terrible time; in foreground, a brahmin-sage is asked about the path to siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Indra
• Rudra
• Viprendra (sage)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True perfection is sought beyond even divine offices—spiritual attainment must transcend cosmic cycles and fearsome times.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa’s broader Narmadā-centered sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it frames a doctrinal inquiry about siddhi and ultimate refuge.