Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

सूर्यस्य तेजसा दग्धाः पातालमगमन्पुरा । कलौ तद्द्वारमेवास्ति न पाताले गतिः प्रिये

Transliteration

sūryasya tejasā dagdhāḥ pātālamagamanpurā | kalau taddvāramevāsti na pātāle gatiḥ priye

Translation

സൂര്യന്റെ തേജസ്സാൽ ദഗ്ധരായി അവർ പണ്ടു പാതാളത്തിലേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങി. എന്നാൽ കലിയുഗത്തിൽ, പ്രിയേ, ആ വാതിൽ മാത്രം ശേഷിക്കുന്നു—പാതാളത്തിലേക്ക് ഗതി ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• sūryasya: of the Sun
• sūryasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• tejasā: by (his) radiance
• tejasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• dagdhāḥ: burnt
• dagdhāḥ: Kriya (Predicate complement/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dah (दह् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त, past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• pātālam: to Pātāla
• pātālam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• agaman: went
• agaman: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/once)

• kalau: in Kali (Yuga)
• kalau: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• tat-dvāram: that gate/entrance
• tat-dvāram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dvāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य द्वारम्)

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (only/indeed)

• asti: exists/is
• asti: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• pātāle: in Pātāla
• pātāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• gatiḥ: access/going/way
• gatiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• priye: O dear one
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Devī/Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-dvāra (sealed in Kali) near Sūrya-sthāna, Prabhāsa

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rākṣasas scorched by a blazing solar radiance flee downward; the earth-cleft appears as a sealed or inert doorway in the present age, with a faint aura indicating its former potency.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Pātāla
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine radiance is portrayed as protective power, restraining harmful forces and sanctifying the landscape for pilgrims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The pātāla-vivara/‘doorway’ near the Sūrya-associated area in Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse explains the site’s condition in Kali-yuga—an entrance remains, but no access beyond.