Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पातालं सप्तमं यच्च ह्यधस्तात्संस्थितं महत् । वसते तत्र वै देवः पुराणः परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

pātālaṃ saptamaṃ yacca hyadhastātsaṃsthitaṃ mahat | vasate tatra vai devaḥ purāṇaḥ parameśvaraḥ

Translation

അത്യന്തം താഴെ സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്ന മഹത്തായ ഏഴാം പാതാളത്തിൽ—അവിടെയേ പുരാതന ദേവൻ, പരമേശ്വരൻ വസിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पातालम्: Pātāla
• पातालम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सप्तमम्’ इति विशेष्य

• सप्तमम्: seventh
• सप्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (क्रमवाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पातालम् इति विशेषण

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• हि: indeed
• हि: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक

• अधस्तात्: below
• अधस्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधस्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (down below)

• संस्थितम्: situated/placed
• संस्थितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पातालम् इति विशेषण; ‘situated’

• महत्: great/huge
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; पातालम् इति विशेषण

• वसते: dwells
• वसते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• वै: indeed
• वै: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक-निपात (indeed)

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• पुराणः: ancient
• पुराणः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवः इति विशेषण

• परमेश्वरः: the Supreme Lord
• परमेश्वरः: Karta (Appositional subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; देवस्य उपाधि

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a royal interlocutor (rājendra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the nadir of the cosmos, a radiant ancient Deity seated in yogic stillness amid dark caverns; surrounding gloom is pierced by a halo, suggesting the Supreme’s presence in the deepest Pātāla.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Parameśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme Lord is not confined to one realm; divine sovereignty extends through all levels of existence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the broader Kapileśvara/Narmadā narrative with cosmological theology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse asserts divine presence and cosmological location.