Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

किं बलाश्च किमाहाराः किमाधारा हि देवताः । विचार्य बहुशो दैत्यस्तत्त्वं विज्ञाय निश्चितम्

Transliteration

kiṃ balāśca kimāhārāḥ kimādhārā hi devatāḥ | vicārya bahuśo daityastattvaṃ vijñāya niścitam

Translation

«Quelle est leur force ? Quelle est leur nourriture ? Sur quoi les dieux s’appuient-ils vraiment ?»—ainsi le Daitya réfléchit maintes fois, et, ayant saisi le principe véritable, prit une résolution ferme.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• बलाः: strengths
• बलाः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun of देवताः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• आहाराः: foods/sustenance
• आहाराः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• आधाराः: supports/bases
• आधाराः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-dyotaka (सम्बन्ध-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• देवताः: the deities
• देवताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विचार्य: having reflected
• विचार्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle): 'having considered'

• बहुशः: many times
• बहुशः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• दैत्यः: the demon
• दैत्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्त्वम्: the truth/essence
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विज्ञाय: having understood
• विज्ञाय: Pūrvakāla-kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund): 'having ascertained/known'

• निश्चितम्: certain/decided
• निश्चितम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √चि + नि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate of तत्त्वम् understood)

Speaker

Skanda (narration to Agastya, inferred)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame assumed; not explicit in verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The daitya interrogates the unseen structure of divine power—visualized as a chain: devas → yajña → Veda → brāhmaṇa—appearing like luminous links in the air as he contemplates.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Daitya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power rooted in Dharma has identifiable supports; protecting those supports preserves cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but this verse itself does not name a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse foreshadows the Devas’ dependence on Vedic-yajña systems.