Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तपः कुर्वति तस्मिंस्तु सुमाली नाम राक्षसः । पाताललोकाद्भूलोकं सर्वं वै विचचार ह

Transliteration

tapaḥ kurvati tasmiṃstu sumālī nāma rākṣasaḥ | pātālalokādbhūlokaṃ sarvaṃ vai vicacāra ha

Translation

അവൻ തപസ്സിൽ നിരതനായിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ സുമാലി എന്ന രാക്ഷസൻ പാതാളലോകത്തിൽ നിന്നുയർന്ന് ഭൂലോകമൊട്ടാകെ സഞ്ചരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; कर्मरूपेण (object-like use)

• कुर्वति: does, performs
• कुर्वति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तस्मिन्: in that (time/place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• सुमाली: Sumālī
• सुमाली: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमाली (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (Appositive marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (नाम-शब्दः), नामनिर्देशार्थक

• राक्षसः: a rākṣasa (demon)
• राक्षसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• पाताललोकात्: from the netherworld
• पाताललोकात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल + लोक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातालस्य लोकः)

• भूलोकम्: the earth-world
• भूलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + लोक (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भूः लोकः)

• सर्वम्: entire, all
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (भूलोकम्)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• विचचार: wandered about
• विचचार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ह: (indeed/just)
• ह: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (expletive/ स्मरणार्थक)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A rākṣasa ascetic completes tapas; from a subterranean realm he rises to the earth and begins a wide, restless wandering across landscapes.

Characters & Entities

• Viśravā
• Sumālī
• Pātāla
• Bhūloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives show how powerful beings move across realms, setting up karmic intersections between sages and rākṣasas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse is cosmological and narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.