Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

आह्लादकारिणः शुभ्रा मणयो यत्र सुप्रभाः । नागांगाभरणप्रोताः पातालं केन तत्समम्

Transliteration

āhlādakāriṇaḥ śubhrā maṇayo yatra suprabhāḥ | nāgāṃgābharaṇaprotāḥ pātālaṃ kena tatsamam

Translation

هناك تتلألأ جواهر بيضاء بهيجة للقلب، شديدة الإشراق، منسوجة في حُلِيٍّ على أجساد الناغا (Nāga)؛ فأيُّ باتالا (Pātāla) يساوي مثل هذا؟

Word by Word

• आह्लाद-कारिणः: causing delight
• आह्लाद-कारिणः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु) + णिनि/इनि (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कृदन्त (कारिन् = 'doing/making'); विशेषण (मणयः)

• शुभ्राः: bright/white
• शुभ्राः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मणयः)

• मणयः: gems
• मणयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative locative adverb)

• सुप्रभाः: very radiant
• सुप्रभाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (मणयः)

• नाग-अङ्ग-आभरण-प्रोताः: set/strung into the ornaments on serpents’ bodies
• नाग-अङ्ग-आभरण-प्रोताः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्र + वे/वय् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (मणयः); अर्थः—'नागानाम् अङ्गेषु आभरणेषु प्रोताः/प्रविष्टाः'

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/Topic/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाक्ये विषयपदम्

• केन: by what? / with what?
• केन: Karana (Instrument/Comparison/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तत्-समम्: equal to that
• तत्-समम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (पातालम्)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating; continuing the Nārada-themed description)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla (Nāga-loka)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A glowing subterranean palace where Nāgas wear strings of radiant white gems; the cavern walls sparkle, casting cool light that 'delights the heart'.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worlds of enjoyment can be astonishingly splendid; the Purāṇic point is to recognize splendor as not the final aim compared to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tirtha is named; the verse describes Pātāla-loka’s opulence within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive cosmology.