Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

सुरसेनाऽभवद्भीमं पातालोत्तालतालुकम् । सैन्येषु ग्रस्यमानेषु दानवेन बलीयसा

Transliteration

surasenā'bhavadbhīmaṃ pātālottālatālukam | sainyeṣu grasyamāneṣu dānavena balīyasā

Translation

ബലവാനായ ദാനവൻ സൈന്യത്തെ വിഴുങ്ങിത്തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ ദേവസേന ഭീകരഭീതിയിൽ ആകപ്പെട്ടു; അവന്റെ വായ് ഉയർത്തിയ താലുവോടെ പിളർന്ന പാതാളംപോലെ ദാരുണമായി തോന്നി.

Word by Word

• surasenā: the army of the gods
• surasenā: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + senā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुराणां सेना)

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bhīmam: terrible
• bhīmam: Karma (Predicative complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (pātālottālatālukam इति/अवस्था)

• pātālottālatālukam: with palate raised like the netherworld (gaping terribly)
• pātālottālatālukam: Karma (Predicative complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātāla + uttāla + tāluka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पातालम् इव उत्तालं तालुकं यस्य/पातालोत्ताल-तालुकम्)

• sainyeṣu: among the troops
• sainyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• grasyamāneṣu: while being devoured
• grasyamāneṣu: Sati-saptamī (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gras (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; ‘being swallowed’ (locative absolute with sainyeṣu)

• dānavena: by the demon
• dānavena: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive context/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• balīyasā: by the mightier (one)
• balīyasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: balīyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तुलनात्मक-प्रत्यय (comparative) ‘stronger/mightier’

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating to the sages (contextual attribution within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The deva army recoils in terror as the powerful dānava devours ranks; the asura’s mouth appears like a yawning pātāla—an abyss with a raised, dreadful palate.

Characters & Entities

• Deva army (surasenā)
• Dānava
• Pātāla (underworld)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even divine hosts can experience fear; dharma is upheld not by never trembling, but by acting rightly despite trembling.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; ‘Pātāla’ is used as a cosmic metaphor, not a pilgrimage instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.