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

Où allèrent les autres dieux et les asuras, une fois réduits en cendres et dissous dans la résorption ? Et qu’advint-il ensuite ? Daigne tout nous dire.

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.