Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

पातालं गमितः पूर्वं हरिणा विक्रमैस्त्रिभिः । वृत्तवानपि वै वृत्रः सुत्राम्णा विनिसूदितः

Transliteration

pātālaṃ gamitaḥ pūrvaṃ hariṇā vikramaistribhiḥ | vṛttavānapi vai vṛtraḥ sutrāmṇā vinisūditaḥ

Translation

Einst gelangte Hari mit seinen drei Schritten bis nach Pātāla; und auch Vṛtra, obgleich furchtbar, wurde von Sutrāman (Indra) erschlagen.

Word by Word

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

• गमितः: was sent
• गमितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was made to go/was sent’

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• पूर्वम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of time)

• हरिणा: by Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिणा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• विक्रमैः: with strides
• विक्रमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (all genders)

• वृत्तवान्: had occurred, existed
• वृत्तवान्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + क्तवत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त (Perfect participle/active past), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थे—‘having occurred/being present’

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वृत्रः: Vṛtra
• वृत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुत्राम्णा: by Sutrāman (Indra)
• सुत्राम्णा: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत्रामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (इन्द्रस्य नाम)

• विनिसूदितः: was killed
• विनिसूदितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु॒द्/सूद् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त—भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle, क्त) उपसर्गैः वि-नि-, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was slain’

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuation)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rapid mythic montage: Viṣṇu as Trivikrama spanning the cosmos, one stride reaching Pātāla; Indra as Sutrāman striking down the serpent-demon Vṛtra.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Vāmana/Trivikrama (three strides motif)
• Pātāla
• Vṛtra
• Indra (Sutrāman)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic history is invoked to underline divine power and cosmic order—mythic deeds validate the sanctity and authority of the sacred narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it supplies mythic background within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa flow.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is narrative, referencing Viṣṇu’s strides and Indra’s slaying of Vṛtra.