Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 66
Devanagari script
कस्यकस्यासि तनया जननी कस्यकस्य वा । कस्यकस्यासि गृहिणी भवकोटिषु वर्त्तिनी
Transliteration
kasyakasyāsi tanayā jananī kasyakasya vā | kasyakasyāsi gṛhiṇī bhavakoṭiṣu varttinī
Translation
കോടിക്കണക്കിന് ഭവങ്ങളിൽ സഞ്ചരിച്ച നീ—ആരുടെ മകളായിരുന്നു? ആരുടെ മാതാവായിരുന്നു? ആരുടെ ഗൃഹിണി (ഭാര്യ)യായിരുന്നു?
Word by Word
कस्यof whom
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम
कस्यof which (person)
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular); पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)
असिyou are
असि:
Kriyā (Main verb/action)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)
तनयाdaughter
तनया:
Pradhāna (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootतनया (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)
जननीmother
जननी:
Pradhāna (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootजननी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)
कस्यof whom
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)
कस्यof which (person)
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)
कस्यof whom
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)
कस्यof which (person)
कस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)
असिyou are
असि:
Kriyā (Main verb/action)
TypeVerb
Root√अस् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)
गृहिणीhousewife
गृहिणी:
Pradhāna (Predicate nominative)
TypeNoun
Rootगृहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)
भवकोटिषुin crores of existences
भवकोटिषु:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootभव + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—भवानां कोटयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
वर्त्तिनीdwelling/continuing
वर्त्तिनी:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Root√वृत् (धातु) + शतृ/इनी (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि (one who exists/abides)
Speaker
A Purāṇic teacher (speaker not explicit in the snippet)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A circular mandala of lifetimes: the same soul depicted in different roles—daughter, mother, wife—around a central still point representing the witnessing Self.
FAQs
Worldly roles and relationships change across countless births; clinging to them fuels grief and bondage.
No tīrtha is named in this verse.
None; the verse is meant to awaken detachment from changing identities.