Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

क्व ते कस्य कुतो याताः किमुक्तं तैर्भयावहैः

Transliteration

kva te kasya kuto yātāḥ kimuktaṃ tairbhayāvahaiḥ

Translation

അവർ എവിടെയാണ്? അവർ ആരുടേതാണ്, എവിടെ നിന്നാണ് വന്നത്? ആ ഭയാനകർ എന്താണ് പറഞ്ഞത്?

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Kriya-viseshana (Interrogative adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक देशवाचक (where?)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (they)

• कस्य: of whom/whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्; प्रश्न (of whom/whose)

• कुतः: from where?
• कुतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक अपादानवाचक (from where?)

• याताः: gone
• याताः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्; कर्तरि (gone)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्; प्रश्न (what?)

• उक्तम्: was said
• उक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate in passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक कृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; कर्मणि (said/spoken)

• तैः: by them
• तैः: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; सर्वनाम (by them)

• भयावहैः: fearful/terrifying
• भयावहैः: Visheshana (Qualifier of 'तैः'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (fear-bringing/terrible)

Speaker

The five men (pañca puruṣāḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims anxiously ask about the whereabouts and identity of fearsome figures and the content of their message, with the riverbank as backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right response begins with right understanding—identify the situation clearly before taking action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative remains embedded in the Revā/Narmadā māhātmya cycle, though this verse focuses on inquiry.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a set of investigative questions within the story.