Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40
स्वर्लोकादपिरम्याणि पातालानीति नारदः । प्राह स्वर्गसदां मध्ये पातालेभ्यः समागतः
svarlokādapiramyāṇi pātālānīti nāradaḥ | prāha svargasadāṃ madhye pātālebhyaḥ samāgataḥ
പാതാളങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മേലേക്ക് വന്ന് നാരദൻ സ്വർഗ്ഗസഭയുടെ മദ്ധ്യേ പറഞ്ഞു—“സ്വർലോകത്തേക്കാളും രമണീയമാണ് പാതാളങ്ങൾ.”
Skanda (narrating; Nārada quoted within the verse)
Tirtha: Pātāla (general)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: Nārada, veena in hand, rises from subterranean realms and addresses the devas in a radiant court; behind him, a glimpse of jeweled Pātāla caverns contrasts with svarga’s airy brilliance.
FAQs
Even the most desired realms are relative; Purāṇas use such comparisons to redirect seekers from pleasure-worlds toward higher liberation-focused goals.
No tirtha is named in this verse; it is cosmological narration within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework.
None; it reports Nārada’s statement after traveling from Pātāla to Svarga.