Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कुम्भश्चैव विकुम्भश्च कुम्भकर्णसुतावुभौ । महाबलौ महावीर्यौ महान्तौ पुरुषोत्तम

Transliteration

kumbhaścaiva vikumbhaśca kumbhakarṇasutāvubhau | mahābalau mahāvīryau mahāntau puruṣottama

Translation

കുംഭനും വികുംഭനും—ഇരുവരും കുംഭകർണന്റെ പുത്രന്മാർ—മഹാബലവും മഹാവീര്യവും ഉള്ള മഹാന്മാർ ആയിരുന്നു, ഹേ പുരുഷോത്തമാ।

Word by Word

• कुम्भः: Kumbha (name)
• कुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• विकुम्भः: Vikumbha (name)
• विकुम्भः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• कुम्भकर्णसुतौ: the two sons of Kumbhakarṇa
• कुम्भकर्णसुतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भकर्ण + सुत (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: कुम्भकर्णस्य सुतौ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• उभौ: both
• उभौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• महाबलौ: very strong
• महाबलौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + बल (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: महत् बलम् यस्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• महावीर्यौ: of great prowess
• महावीर्यौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: महत् वीर्यम् यस्य
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्मधारय-समास

• महान्तौ: great
• महान्तौ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन

• पुरुषोत्तम: O best of men
• पुरुषोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक); घटकौ: पुरुषेषु उत्तम
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (superlative determinative)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa style narration within a Māhātmya frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Puruṣottama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two towering Rakṣasa brothers, Kumbha and Vikumbha, introduced in a courtly-epic tableau—massive physiques, weapons, and ominous grandeur; narrator addressing Puruṣottama.

Characters & Entities

• Kumbha
• Vikumbha
• Kumbhakarṇa
• Puruṣottama (epithet/contextual address)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Power and lineage are recorded as part of cosmic history, but Purāṇic teaching ultimately evaluates beings by Dharma, not merely strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the chapter context belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.