Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । पातालविवरस्यापि माहात्म्यं शृणु सांप्रतम् । पूर्वपृष्टं महादेवि ब्रह्मणा विश्वकर्मणा

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | pātālavivarasyāpi māhātmyaṃ śṛṇu sāṃpratam | pūrvapṛṣṭaṃ mahādevi brahmaṇā viśvakarmaṇā

Translation

ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഇപ്പോൾ പാതാളവിവരത്തിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യവും കേൾക്കുക. ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ഇതിനെക്കുറിച്ച് മുൻപ് ബ്രഹ്മാവും വിശ്വകർമ്മാവും ചോദിച്ചിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पातालविवरस्य: of the opening/cavern of Pātāla
• पातालविवरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल-विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातालस्य विवरम्)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness; sacred glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शृणु: hear
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सांप्रतम्: now
• सांप्रतम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सांप्रतम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘now/at present’)

• पूर्वपृष्टम्: previously asked
• पूर्वपृष्टम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व-प्रष्ट (प्र-छ् धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यत्’ (माहात्म्यम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महती देवी)

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• विश्वकर्मणा: by Viśvakarman
• विश्वकर्मणा: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (यस्य कर्म विश्वम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-vivara

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara (Śiva) speaks to Mahādevī, gesturing toward a dark cavern-mouth marked by sacred signs; in the background, Brahmā and Viśvakarman appear as earlier inquirers, suggesting cosmic architecture of the place.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Mahādevī
• Brahmā
• Viśvakarman
• Pātālavivara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have layered cosmic histories; their māhātmya is validated by ancient enquiries even by gods and divine artisans.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pātālavivara (the cavern/opening associated with Pātāla) within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces a new māhātmya topic for listening (śravaṇa).