Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

उत्तरं पश्चिमं चैव द्वीपाद्द्वीपं नरेश्वर । पातालं सुतलं पश्चाद्वितलं च तलातलम्

Transliteration

uttaraṃ paścimaṃ caiva dvīpāddvīpaṃ nareśvara | pātālaṃ sutalaṃ paścādvitalaṃ ca talātalam

Translation

Ô seigneur des hommes, il alla aussi vers le nord et l’ouest, d’île-continent en île-continent ; puis il gagna Pātāla et Sutala, et ensuite Vitala et Talātala.

Word by Word

• उत्तरम्: the north (region)
• उत्तरम्: Karma (Goal/object in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दिक्वाचक (as region)

• पश्चिमम्: the west (region)
• पश्चिमम्: Karma (Goal/object in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दिक्वाचक

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/also
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• द्वीपात्: from an island
• द्वीपात्: Apādāna (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन

• द्वीपम्: to an island
• द्वीपम्: Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/गत्यर्थ-लक्ष्य), एकवचन

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: नर + ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Goal/object in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सुतलम्: Sutala
• सुतलम्: Karma (Goal/object in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/क्रमवाचक अव्यय (afterwards)

• वितलम्: Vitala
• वितलम्: Karma (Goal/object in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• तलातलम्: Talātala
• तलातलम्: Karma (Goal/object in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तलातल (प्रातिपदिक: तल + अतल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (तलं च अतलं च)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tala-loka traversal (Pātāla/Sutala/Vitala/Talātala)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A descent sequence: the bull and pursuer pass through shadowed, jewel-lit underworlds—Pātāla and the talas—serpentine motifs, subterranean palaces, eerie calm.

Characters & Entities

• Nareśvara (King)
• Pātāla
• Sutala
• Vitala
• Talātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No realm—upper, middle, or lower—guarantees peace when one is pursued by the fruits of adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse maps cosmic regions (lokas/talas) rather than an earthly tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated in this verse.