Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ततोऽसौ चिन्तयामास केन बाणो विसर्जितः । कस्यैषा पौरुषी शक्तिः को यास्यति यमालयम्

Transliteration

tato'sau cintayāmāsa kena bāṇo visarjitaḥ | kasyaiṣā pauruṣī śaktiḥ ko yāsyati yamālayam

Translation

Alors il réfléchit : «Par qui cette flèche a-t-elle été lancée ? À qui appartient cette puissance virile ? Qui sera envoyé au séjour de Yama ?»

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kala (Temporal/sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/अनन्तर्ये अव्यय (adverb: then/from that)

• असौ: that one (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• चिन्तयामास: pondered / thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (परिप्रसिद्ध रूप)

• केन: by whom / with what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Agent queried)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• बाणः: the arrow
• बाणः: Karta (Grammatical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विसर्जितः: was released
• विसर्जितः: Kriya (Passive/result)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सृज् (धातु) → विसर्जित (कृदन्त, क्त; कर्मणि)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• कस्य: whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Possessor queried)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• एषा: this
• एषा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पौरुषी: manly / heroic
• पौरुषी: Karta (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौरुषी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying शक्तिः)

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कः: who
• कः: Karta (Subject queried)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• यास्यति: will go
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• यमालयम्: Yama's abode
• यमालयम्: Gati-Karma (Destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमालय (प्रातिपदिक) = यम + आलय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; continuation of Maheśa’s account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) region (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The demon pauses amid dissipating steam and smoke, looking around in alarm, speaking inwardly—questions hanging as he senses a greater warrior nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride and hostility reveal themselves in speech; fixation on death-dealing power is a mark of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse centers on the demon’s reaction within the battle narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is introspective dialogue within the story.