Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पिबामि चार्णवान्सप्ताप्येकेन चुलुकेन वै । रसातलं वा पातालं पातालं वा रसातलम्

Transliteration

pibāmi cārṇavānsaptāpyekena culukena vai | rasātalaṃ vā pātālaṃ pātālaṃ vā rasātalam

Translation

Mit nur einer Handvoll kann ich alle sieben Ozeane austrinken; und ich kann Rasātala in Pātāla umstürzen—oder Pātāla in Rasātala.

Word by Word

• पिबामि: I drink
• पिबामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Present, 1st person, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अर्णवान्: oceans
• अर्णवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; अर्णवान्-विशेषणम् (numeral used adjectivally)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• एकेन: with one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; चुलुकेन-विशेषणम् (Instrumental Singular; adjective)

• चुलुकेन: with a handful/scoop (palmful)
• चुलुकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चुलुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• रसातलम्: Rasātala (a netherworld)
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• पातालम्: Pātāla
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (repetition)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• रसातलम्: Rasātala
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (repetition)

Speaker

Same speaker as surrounding verses (boastful vow before a father-like lord; exact identity not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single figure cups a palm as if holding the seven oceans; beneath, layered netherworld strata (Rasātala, Pātāla) are shown flipping like cosmic plates, all under the Lord’s sanction.

Characters & Entities

• Rasātala
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It dramatizes cosmic power as subordinate to divine authority—strength is meaningful only when offered in service.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter sits within Kāśī Māhātmya, but this verse focuses on cosmological imagery rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a declaration of capability, not a ritual instruction.