Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कमठ उवाच । यथैतद्वेद ब्रह्मांडं शरीरं च तथा शृणु । पादमूलं च पातालं प्रपदं च रसातलम्

Transliteration

kamaṭha uvāca | yathaitadveda brahmāṃḍaṃ śarīraṃ ca tathā śṛṇu | pādamūlaṃ ca pātālaṃ prapadaṃ ca rasātalam

Translation

കമഠൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഈ ശരീരം ബ്രഹ്മാണ്ഡത്തോട് എങ്ങനെ അനുരൂപമാണെന്ന് കേൾക്കുക. പാദമൂലം പാതാളം; പാദത്തിന്റെ മുൻഭാഗം രസാതലം।

Word by Word

• कमठः: Kamaṭha
• कमठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कमठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb/conjunction) — ‘as; just as’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वेद: you know
• वेद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 2nd person, Singular

• ब्रह्माण्डम्: the cosmic egg; universe
• ब्रह्माण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मणः अण्डम्)

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb) — ‘thus; in the same way’

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Imperative, 2nd person, Singular

• पादमूलम्: the sole/base of the foot
• पादमूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक) + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादस्य मूलम्)

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

• पातालम्: Pātāla (netherworld)
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रपदम्: forepart of the foot; instep
• प्रपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रपद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• रसातलम्: Rasātala (a netherworld)
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसा (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रसायाḥ तलम्) / रूढि-नाम (proper name)

Speaker

Kamaṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla; Rasātala (internalized cosmographic loci)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Atithi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kamaṭha teaches a diagrammatic vision: a standing human figure overlaid with concentric cosmic layers; the soles labeled Pātāla and the forefoot Rasātala, with the brahmāṇḍa shown as an egg-like aura around the body.

Characters & Entities

• Kamaṭha
• Brahmāṇḍa
• Pātāla
• Rasātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The human body is presented as a microcosm of the universe, encouraging reverence and disciplined living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse explains cosmology through bodily mapping.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an explanatory cosmological teaching.