Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सुतलं नितलं चैव तथैव वितलं च यत् । तस्याधस्ताच्चतुर्थे च वसतिर्वो धरातले

Transliteration

sutalaṃ nitalaṃ caiva tathaiva vitalaṃ ca yat | tasyādhastāccaturthe ca vasatirvo dharātale

Translation

Au-dessous de Sutala, de Nitala et de même de Vitala, dans la quatrième région située plus bas encore, votre demeure sera établie dans les profondeurs de la terre.

Word by Word

• सुतलम्: Sutala
• सुतलम्: कर्म/उद्देश्य (Object/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नाम (one of the nether worlds)

• नितलम्: Nitala
• नितलम्: कर्म/उद्देश्य (Object/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नाम

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphatic particle)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्ययम् (adverb: in that manner)

• एव: indeed
• एव: सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्ययम् (emphasis)

• वितलम्: Vitala
• वितलम्: कर्म/उद्देश्य (Object/Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नाम

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Reference)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• तस्य: of that
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्ययम् (adverb of place: below)

• चतुर्थे: in the fourth (level)
• चतुर्थे: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्रमवाचक-विशेषणम् (ordinal)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम्

• वसतिः: dwelling/residence
• वसतिः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• वः: of you (all)
• वः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (genitive plural enclitic)

• धरातले: on the surface of the earth/ground
• धरातले: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Brahmā (implied by immediate context continuing into 31–33 as 'Brahmovāca')

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-loka (Sutala–Nitala–Vitala strata)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nāgas (internal) and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A layered cross-section of the cosmos: Sutala, Nitala, Vitala shown as descending jeweled caverns; beneath them a fourth, deeper realm prepared as a dwelling for nāgas, with luminous gems and subterranean rivers.

Characters & Entities

• Sutala
• Nitala
• Vitala
• Nāgas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine order assigns proper abodes to beings; even powerful Nāgas are placed within a dharmic cosmic arrangement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative leading toward the Nāgas’ designated sacred settlement (named later as Cāmatkārapura).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it sets cosmological and locational context for later worship instructions.