Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

पातालमार्गा बहवः स्वर्गमार्गश्च दृश्यते । गगने दृश्यते सूर्यो हृदये दृश्यते हरः

Transliteration

pātālamārgā bahavaḥ svargamārgaśca dṛśyate | gagane dṛśyate sūryo hṛdaye dṛśyate haraḥ

Translation

Banyaklah jalan menuju alam bawah (Pātāla), dan jalan ke syurga juga terlihat. Di langit tampak Surya; di dalam hati tampak Hara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• पातालमार्गाः: paths to the netherworld
• पातालमार्गाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पातालस्य मार्गाः)

• बहवः: many
• बहवः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• स्वर्गमार्गः: the path to heaven
• स्वर्गमार्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (स्वर्गस्य मार्गः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• दृश्यते: is seen / appears
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• गगने: in the sky
• गगने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• सूर्यः: the sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• हृदये: in the heart
• हृदये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• हरः: Hara (Śiva)
• हरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha/Prabhāsa (context) with emphasis on inner tīrtha (hṛdaya)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split vision: below, branching roads labeled pātāla and svarga; above, the blazing sun in the sky; at center, a meditating pilgrim with a luminous Śiva-linga/Śiva form shining in the heart.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Svarga
• Sūrya
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

External destinies (svarga/pātāla) depend on conduct, while the highest vision is inner—realizing Śiva (Hara) within the heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya, the teaching frames the tīrtha as a place that supports both cosmic and inner realization.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implicitly encourages inward contemplation alongside pilgrimage—seeing Hara in the heart.