ka:- ka/

The interrogative sentence introduced by ka is often terminated by iti (e.g. kasya sa putra iti kaTyatAm, let it be said, ‘whose son is he?’), but iti may be omitted and the sentence lose its direct interrogative character (e.g. kasya sa putro na jYAyate, it is not known whose son he is).
ka with or without √ as may express ‘how is it possible that?’ ‘what power have I, you, they, &c.?’ (e.g. ke mama Danvino’nye, what can the other archers do against me? ke AvAm paritrAtum, what power have we to rescue you?)
ka is often connected with a demonstrative pron. (e.g. ko ‘yam AyAti, who comes here?) or with the potential (e.g. ko hariM nindet, who will blame Hari?)
ka is sometimes repeated (e.g. kaH ko ‘tra, who is there? kAn kAn, whom? whom? i.e. which of them? cf. Gram. 54), and the repetition is often due to a kind of attraction (e.g. kezAM kiM SAstram aDyayanIyam, which book is to be read by whom? Gram. 836. a).
When kim is connected with the inst. c. of a noun or with the indeclinableindecl. participle it may express ‘what is gained by doing so, &c.?’ (= ko’rTas);
(e.g. kiM vilambena, what is gained by delay? kim bahunA, what is the use of more words? Danena kiM yo na dadAti, what is the use of wealth to him who does not give? with inst. and gen., nIrujaH kim OzaDEH, what is the use of medicine to the healthy?)