Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

पातालेभ्योपि वै रम्यं द्विज वर्षमिलावृतम् । रत्नसानुं समाश्रित्य परितः परिसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

pātālebhyopi vai ramyaṃ dvija varṣamilāvṛtam | ratnasānuṃ samāśritya paritaḥ parisaṃsthitam

Translation

Noch lieblicher als die Pātālas ist das Land namens Ilāvṛta-varṣa, o Zweimalgeborener; es ruht auf juwelengleichen Berghängen und ist ringsum von allen Seiten umschlossen.

Word by Word

• पातालेभ्यः: from the Pātālas (nether regions)
• पातालेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed)

• रम्यम्: delightful
• रम्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• द्विज: O twice-born (brāhmaṇa)
• द्विज: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• वर्षम्: a region/land (varṣa)
• वर्षम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• इलावृतम्: Ilāvṛta (named)
• इलावृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इलावृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (वर्षस्य)

• रत्नसानुम्: a jewel-peaked (mountain/summit)
• रत्नसानुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक) + सानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रत्नानां सानुः/सानुम्)

• समाश्रित्य: having taken refuge in, having approached
• समाश्रित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having resorted to’

• परितः: all around
• परितः: Desha (Location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परितः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-विशेषण (adverb: all around)

• परिसंस्थितम्: situated, established
• परिसंस्थितम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-सम्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (वर्षस्य)

Speaker

Skanda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a dvija

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant central mountain with jewel-like slopes; Ilāvṛta encircling it like a luminous ring, with symmetrical gardens, celestial rivers, and gem-studded ridges suggesting ‘ratna-sānu’.

Characters & Entities

• Ilāvṛta-varṣa
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic geography is presented as layered with increasing splendour, yet the Kāśī-khaṇḍa ultimately guides the listener toward dharma and the highest good beyond mere splendour.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Ilāvṛta-varṣa is praised as surpassingly beautiful; it is a cosmographical region rather than a human pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.