Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48
Devanagari script
कस्त्वं देवो मनुष्यो वा गन्धर्वो वा महामते । का माता जनकः को वा को देशस्तव नाम किम्
Transliteration
kastvaṃ devo manuṣyo vā gandharvo vā mahāmate | kā mātā janakaḥ ko vā ko deśastava nāma kim
Translation
ഹേ മഹാമതേ! നീ ആരാണ്—ദേവനോ, മനുഷ്യനോ, ഗന്ധർവനോ? നിന്റെ മാതാവ് ആര്, പിതാവ് ആര്; നിന്റെ ദേശം ഏത്, നിന്റെ നാമം എന്ത്?
Word by Word
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम
tvamyou
tvam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचनम्
devaḥa god
devaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; विकल्पप्रश्ने (as alternative predicate)
manuṣyaḥa human
manuṣyaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootmanuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; विकल्पप्रश्ने
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)
gandharvaḥa Gandharva
gandharvaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootgandharva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; विकल्पप्रश्ने
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात
mahā-mateO great-minded one
mahā-mate:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + mati (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (vocative) एकवचनम्; ‘महती मतिः यस्य’/‘महामतिः’ (O great-minded one)
kāwho/what (fem.)
kā:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम
mātāmother
mātā:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootmātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्
janakaḥfather
janakaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootjanaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्
kaḥwho
kaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात
kaḥwhat/which
kaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम
deśaḥcountry, region
deśaḥ:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootdeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्
tavayour
tava:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootyusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) एकवचनम्; ‘तव’
nāmaname
nāma:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootnāman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate: ‘name’)
kimwhat
kim:
Pratipadyartha (Predicate nominal/विशेष्य-निर्देश)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक (what?)
Speaker
The king (father) addressing the hero/son figure (deduced from immediate narrative context)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: The king, still holding his son or facing him closely, asks a sequence of identity questions—gesturing with an open palm; the questioned figure remains composed and radiant.
Characters & Entities
D
DevaM
ManuṣyaG
GandharvaFAQs
Right relationship begins with truthful identity—knowing lineage, duties, and one’s place in dharma.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a narrative inquiry.
None.