Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

पातालस्य तले यूयं मानवा धरणीतले । देवास्त्रिभुवने यांतु न वयं स्वर्गगामिनः

Transliteration

pātālasya tale yūyaṃ mānavā dharaṇītale | devāstribhuvane yāṃtu na vayaṃ svargagāminaḥ

Translation

„Ihr gehört in die Tiefen von Pātāla; die Menschen gehören auf die Oberfläche der Erde. Mögen die Devas durch die drei Welten ziehen—doch wir sind nicht dazu bestimmt, in den Himmel zu gelangen.“

Word by Word

• पातालस्य: of Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तले: on the surface/in the region
• तले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यूयम्: you (pl.)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• मानवाः: O humans / humans
• मानवाः: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (vocative sense possible)

• धरणी-तले: on the earth’s surface
• धरणी-तले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धरण्याः तलम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• त्रि-भुवने: in the three worlds
• त्रि-भुवने: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + भुवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि भुवनानि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यान्तु: let them go
• यान्तु: Kriya (Command/permission)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्वर्ग-गामिनः: going to heaven
• स्वर्ग-गामिनः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + गामिन् (गम् धातु; णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वर्गं गच्छन्ति इति), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (वयम्)

Speaker

Daityas (continuing the quoted speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Daityas speaking with a resigned, stern tone, gesturing downward to Pātāla and outward to the earth’s surface, while a luminous upper sky indicates the gods’ domain; humans shown as small figures on earth, emphasizing cosmic layering.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Mānavas (humans)
• Devas
• Tribhuvana
• Svarga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Acceptance of one’s dharmic station is contrasted with pride; spiritual ascent requires merit and alignment with dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa (the dialogue appears within its māhātmya narration).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a cosmological assertion within the story.