Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कमठ उवाच । यथैतद्वेद ब्रह्मांडं शरीरं च तथा शृणु । पादमूलं च पातालं प्रपदं च रसातलम्

Transliteration

kamaṭha uvāca | yathaitadveda brahmāṃḍaṃ śarīraṃ ca tathā śṛṇu | pādamūlaṃ ca pātālaṃ prapadaṃ ca rasātalam

Translation

कमठ बोले—जैसे यह शरीर ब्रह्माण्ड के समान है, वैसे सुनो। पैरों के तलवे का मूल पाताल है और पाँव का अग्रभाग रसातल है।

Word by Word

• कमठः: Kamaṭha
• कमठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb/conjunction) — ‘as; just as’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वेद: you know
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 2nd person, Singular

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the cosmic egg; universe
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः अण्डम्)

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘thus; in the same way’

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• पादमूलम्: the sole/base of the foot
• पादमूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादस्य मूलम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रपदम्: forepart of the foot; instep
• प्रपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रसातलम्: Rasātala (a netherworld)
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रसायाḥ तलम्) / रूढि-नाम (proper name)

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla; Rasātala (internalized cosmographic loci)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Atithi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kamaṭha teaches a diagrammatic vision: a standing human figure overlaid with concentric cosmic layers; the soles labeled Pātāla and the forefoot Rasātala, with the brahmāṇḍa shown as an egg-like aura around the body.

Characters & Entities

• Kamaṭha
• Brahmāṇḍa
• Pātāla
• Rasātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The human body is presented as a microcosm of the universe, encouraging reverence and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse explains cosmology through bodily mapping.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an explanatory cosmological teaching.