Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पाताले विवरं तत्र योगिन्यस्तत्र किं पुरा । तथा मातृगणश्चैव कथमेतदभूत्पुरा

Transliteration

pātāle vivaraṃ tatra yoginyastatra kiṃ purā | tathā mātṛgaṇaścaiva kathametadabhūtpurā

Translation

പൂർവ്വകാലത്ത് അവിടെ പാതാളത്തിലേക്കുള്ള ആ വിവരം (തുറവ്) എന്തായിരുന്നു? അവിടെയുള്ള യോഗിനിമാരും മാതൃഗണവും ആരായിരുന്നു—ഇതെല്ലാം മുമ്പ് എങ്ങനെ സംഭവിച്ചു?

Word by Word

• पाताले: in the netherworld (Pātāla)
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विवरम्: a hole, opening
• विवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• योगिन्यः: yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तथा: likewise, and also
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• मातृगणः: the group of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातॄणां गणः)

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• अभूत्: became, happened
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī) to Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-vivara (Prabhāsa context)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks about an ancient opening to Pātāla and the presence of Yoginīs and Mātṛs at Prabhāsa; imagery suggests a dark cave-mouth near a shrine, guarded by fierce yet protective goddesses.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Yoginīs
• Mātṛgaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are not merely physical places; they carry layered, ancient sacred histories linking worlds, deities, and spiritual powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with reference to a specific sacred feature described as a ‘vivara’ connected to Pātāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse asks for the origin narrative of the site’s sacred features and attendant deities.