Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 116
सुरसेनाऽभवद्भीमं पातालोत्तालतालुकम् । सैन्येषु ग्रस्यमानेषु दानवेन बलीयसा
surasenā'bhavadbhīmaṃ pātālottālatālukam | sainyeṣu grasyamāneṣu dānavena balīyasā
As the mightier Dānava devoured the ranks, terror seized the host of the gods—like Pātāla yawning wide, its palate lifted high, dreadful to behold.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)
Scene: The deva army recoils in terror as the powerful dānava devours ranks; the asura’s mouth appears like a yawning pātāla—an abyss with a raised, dreadful palate.
FAQs
Even divine hosts can experience fear; dharma is upheld not by never trembling, but by acting rightly despite trembling.
None; ‘Pātāla’ is used as a cosmic metaphor, not a pilgrimage instruction.
None.