Sanskrit dictionary (beta)

[किम्-प्रकारार्थे थमु कादेशश्च]

1. How, in what way, in what manner, whence; कथं मारात्मके त्वयि विश्वासः H.1; अथ स वैद्यः कथम् Mu.2 'well, how did the physician fare'; सानुबन्धाः कथं न स्युः संपदो मे निरापदः R.1.64,3.44; कथमात्मानं निवेदयामि कथं वाऽऽत्मापहारं करोमि Ś.1 (where the speaker is doubtful as to the propriety of what he says).
2. Oh what indeed ! (expressing surprise); कथं मामेवोद्दिशति Ś.6.
3. It is often connected with the particles इव, नाम, नु, वा, or स्वित् in the sense of, 'how indeed', 'how possibly', 'I should like to know', (where the question is generalized); कथं वा गम्यते Ubbayapada (Parasmaipada and Atmanepada)3; कथं नामैतत् Ubbayapada (Parasmaipada and Atmanepada)6.
4. When connected with the particles चित्, चन or अपि it means 'in every way', 'on any account', 'somehow', 'with great difficulty', 'with great efforts'; तस्य स्थित्वा कथमपि पुरः Me.3; कथमप्युन्नमितं न चुम्बितं तु Ś.3.24; न लोकवृत्तं वर्तेत वृत्तिहेतोः कथंचन Ms. 4.11,5.143; कथंचिदीशा मनसां बभूवुः Ku.3.34; कथं कथमपि उत्थितः Pt.1; विसृज्य कथमप्युमाम् Ku.6.3; Me.22; Amaru.12,39,5,73; Pt.1.
5. Scarcely, hardly; कथमपि भुवनेऽस्मिंस्तादृशाः संभवन्ति Māl.2.9.

1. indeclinable (from 2. क), how? in what manner? whence? (exempli gratia, 'for example' कथम् एतत्, how is that? कथम् इदानीम्, how now? what is now to be done? कथम् मारा*त्मके त्वयि विश्वासः, how can there be reliance on thee of murderous mind? कथम् उत्सृज्य त्वां गच्छेयम्, how can I go away deserting you? कथम् बुद्ध्वा भविष्यति सा, how will she be when she awakes? कथम् मृत्युः, प्रभवति वेदविदाम्, whence is it that death has power over those that know the Veda वेद ? कथम् अवगम्यते, whence is it inferred?)
2. indeclinable sometimes कथम् merely introduces an interrogation (exempli gratia, 'for example' कथम् आत्मानं निवेदयामि कथं वा*त्मा*पहारं करोमि, shall I declare myself or shall I withdraw?) कथम् is often found in connection with the particles इव, नाम, नु, स्विद्, which appear to generalize the interrogation (how possibly? how indeed? etc.)
3. indeclinable with नु it is sometimes Equivalent to किमु, or कुतस् (exempli gratia, 'for example' कत्कं नु, how much more! न कथं नु, how much less!) कथम् is often connected, like किम्, with the particles चन, चिद्, and अपि, which give an indefinite sense to the interrogative (exempli gratia, 'for example' कथं चन, in any way, some how; scarcely, with difficulty; न कथं चन, in no way at all; कथंचित्, some how or other, by some means or other, in any way, with some difficulty, scarcely, in a moderate degree, a little; न कथंचित्, not at all, in no way whatever; न कथंचिद् न, in no way not id est most decidedly; यथा कथंचित्, in any way whatsoever; कथंचिद् यदि जीवति, it is with difficulty that he lives; कथम् अपि, some how or other, with some difficulty, scarcely a little; कथम् अपि न, by no means, not at all) fg-veda etc.
4. indeclinable according to lexicographers कथम् is a particle implying amazement
5. indeclinable surprise
6. indeclinable pleasure
7. indeclinable abuse.