Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एष मे स्वर्गरूपेण नरकः समुपस्थितः । किमेतैर्भूषणैर्वस्त्रैर्विमानादिभिरेव च

Transliteration

eṣa me svargarūpeṇa narakaḥ samupasthitaḥ | kimetairbhūṣaṇairvastrairvimānādibhireva ca

Translation

“Bagiku, inilah neraka yang hadir dalam rupa syurga. Apa gunanya perhiasan ini, pakaian ini, bahkan vimāna dan seumpamanya?”

Word by Word

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘this (one)’

• me: for me/my
• me: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘my/for me’

• svarga-rūpeṇa: in the form of heaven
• svarga-rūpeṇa: Karana (Manner/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन — ‘in the form/guise of heaven’

• narakaḥ: hell
• narakaḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘hell’

• sam-upasthitaḥ: has appeared
• sam-upasthitaḥ: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + upa + sthā (धातु) → upasthita (क्त/PPP)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘has presented itself/has come near’

• kim: what (use)
• kim: Karma (Interrogative complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘what?’

• etaiḥ: with these
• etaiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (करण), बहुवचन — ‘with these’

• bhūṣaṇaiḥ: ornaments
• bhūṣaṇaiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — ‘with ornaments’

• vastraiḥ: garments
• vastraiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — ‘with garments’

• vimāna-ādibhiḥ: vimānas and the like
• vimāna-ādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vimāna + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन — ‘with aerial cars and the like’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/emphasis) — ‘indeed/just’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/coordination) — ‘and’

Speaker

Vasusena (addressing Indra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic contrast: glittering ornaments and vimānas surround the speaker, yet his face shows despair; he rejects the splendor as meaningless, calling it hell-in-heaven.

Characters & Entities

• Vasusena
• Indra
• Svarga
• Naraka
• Vimāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without inner satisfaction and dharmic completeness, external rewards become meaningless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is stated in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it expresses vairāgya (disenchantment) born from karmic suffering.