Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

कुतो लब्धमिदं शौर्यं धैर्यं तेजो बलोन्नतिः । जिगीषसीव लोकांस्त्रीन्सदेवासुरमानुषान्

Transliteration

kuto labdhamidaṃ śauryaṃ dhairyaṃ tejo balonnatiḥ | jigīṣasīva lokāṃstrīnsadevāsuramānuṣān

Translation

ഈ ശൗര്യവും ധൈര്യവും തേജസ്സും ബലോന്നതിയും നിനക്ക് എവിടെ നിന്നാണ് ലഭിച്ചത്? അതിനാൽ നീ ദേവ‑അസുര‑മനുഷ്യരോടുകൂടിയ ത്രിലോകം ജയിക്കുവാൻ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവനായി തോന്നുന്നു.

Word by Word

• कुतः: from where; how
• कुतः: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुतस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक-निपात/प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण) = interrogative adverb ‘whence/why’

• लब्धम्: obtained
• लब्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘obtained’ (agreeing with इदम्)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शौर्यम्: valor
• शौर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• धैर्यम्: steadfastness
• धैर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तेजः: splendor; energy
• तेजः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बलोन्नतिः: increase of strength
• बलोन्नतिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक) + उन्नति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भाव: ‘बलस्य उन्नतिः’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जिगीषसि: you desire to conquer
• जिगीषसि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु) + सन् (इच्छार्थ) → जिगीष (धातु-आदेश)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; सन्नन्त (desiderative) ‘you wish to conquer’

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमा-निपात)

• लोकान्: worlds
• लोकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• त्रीन्: three
• त्रीन्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (लोकान् विशेषयति)

• सदेवासुरमानुषान्: together with gods, demons, and humans
• सदेवासुरमानुषान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय-उपसर्गार्थ ‘सहित’) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + असुर (प्रातिपदिक) + मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सहितार्थ: ‘देवासुरमानुषैः सह’), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (लोकान् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Unspecified (context suggests the king/father addressing Bhadrāyu)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical Purāṇic frame; not explicit in this single verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, astonished, addresses a radiant young hero whose posture and aura suggest readiness to subdue the three worlds; courtiers watch in tense admiration.

Characters & Entities

• Bhadrāyu
• deva
• asura
• mānuṣa
• triloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True strength (tejas and dhairya) is recognized as extraordinary and worthy of inquiry; power should be examined for its source and purpose within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is part of a narrative dialogue emphasizing valor and capability.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive and interrogative, not ritual-instructional.