Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

पन्नगैः किं तु पाताले न युध्यन्ते परस्परम् । तथा करिष्ये देवेन्द्रादुपेन्द्राच्च धरातले

Transliteration

pannagaiḥ kiṃ tu pātāle na yudhyante parasparam | tathā kariṣye devendrādupendrācca dharātale

Translation

Kämpfen die Schlangenwesen in Pātāla nicht gegeneinander? Ebenso werde ich auf Erden sowohl mit Devendra (Indra) als auch mit Upendra (Viṣṇu) streiten.

Word by Word

• पन्नगैः: with serpents
• पन्नगैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विभेदबोधक (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• पाताले: in the netherworld
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• युध्यन्ते: they fight
• युध्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• परस्परम्: with one another
• परस्परम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; परस्पर-क्रियाविशेषण (reciprocal adverb: ‘mutually’)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: ‘thus/in that manner’)

• करिष्ये: I shall do
• करिष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• देवेन्द्रात्: from Devendra (Indra)
• देवेन्द्रात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (देवानाम् इन्द्रः)

• उपेन्द्रात्: from Upendra (Vishnu)
• उपेन्द्रात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप (उपसर्ग) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; उपेन्द्र = विष्णु (नाम)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• धरातले: on the earth’s surface
• धरातले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Bali (implied, speaking defiantly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A defiant figure compares nāga battles in the netherworld to his own intended struggle against Indra and Viṣṇu on earth; cosmic verticality (pātāla–bhū–svarga) is visually implied.

Characters & Entities

• Bali
• Pātāla
• Nāgas (Pannagas)
• Indra (Devendra)
• Viṣṇu (Upendra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego and rivalry—even against divine order—lead to downfall; dharma ultimately prevails over pride.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, setting the stage for the site’s redemptive power later in the chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a narrative declaration.