Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तदधो नरकाः कोट्यो द्विकोट्योऽग्निस्ततो महान् । चत्वारिंशत्सहस्रैश्च तदधस्तम उच्यते

Transliteration

tadadho narakāḥ koṭyo dvikoṭyo'gnistato mahān | catvāriṃśatsahasraiśca tadadhastama ucyate

Translation

അതിന്റെ താഴെ കോടി കോടി നരകങ്ങളുണ്ട്; അതിനും താഴെ രണ്ടു കോടിയുടെ അളവുള്ള മഹാ അഗ്നിയുണ്ട്. അതിനും താഴെ കൂടി നാല്പതിനായിരം അകലത്തിൽ ‘തമസ്’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്ന ഘോര അന്ധകാരം പറയുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तदधः: below that
• तदधः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययम् (स्थानवाचक-अव्यय) = 'तस्य अधः' (below that)

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative); बहुवचन

• कोट्यः: crores (in number)
• कोट्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• द्विकोट्यः: two crores (each/amounting to)
• द्विकोट्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (thereafter/from there)

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अग्निः)

• चत्वारिंशत्सहस्रैः: by forty-thousands / forty thousand (as a measure)
• चत्वारिंशत्सहस्रैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चत्वारिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental); बहुवचन

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

• तदधः: below that
• तदधः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्ययम् (below that)

• तमः: darkness
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmological cutaway: above, faint earth; below, stacked strata—countless hells, then a vast blazing fire, then an abyssal region labeled Tamas, rendered as near-total darkness with only ember-glow at the boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Agni
• Tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The layered depiction of suffering and darkness emphasizes the seriousness of adharma and the need for righteous, śāstra-guided life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is cosmological narration in a naraka context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.