Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

। नारद उवाच । सहस्रसप्तत्युच्छ्राये पातालानि परस्परम् । अतलं वितलं चैव नितलं च रसातलम्

Transliteration

| nārada uvāca | sahasrasaptatyucchrāye pātālāni parasparam | atalaṃ vitalaṃ caiva nitalaṃ ca rasātalam

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ପାତାଳଲୋକଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଗୋଟିଏର ତଳେ ଗୋଟିଏ, ପ୍ରତ୍ୟେକ ସହସ୍ର-ସପ୍ତତି (ଯୋଜନ) ଗଭୀରତାରେ ଅବସ୍ଥିତ। ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଅତଳ, ବିତଳ, ନିତଳ ଓ ରସାତଳ।

Word by Word

• नारदः: Nārada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सहस्र: a thousand
• सहस्र: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; (समासाङ्ग)

• सप्तति: seventy
• सप्तति: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्तति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; (समासाङ्ग)

• उच्छ्राये: in height/extent
• उच्छ्राये: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छ्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; ‘in height/extent’

• पातालानि: the Pātālas (nether regions)
• पातालानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• परस्परम्: one after another; mutually
• परस्परम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (mutually/one after another)

• अतलम्: Atala
• अतलम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वितलम्: Vitala
• वितलम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; also
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• नितलम्: Nitala
• नितलम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नितल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• रसातलम्: Rasātala
• रसातलम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस + अतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (rasa-sya atalam)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Atala, Vitala, Nitala, Rasātala (as Pātāla-lokas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kauravya (a Kuru scion; likely Janamejaya in Purāṇic dialogue conventions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada speaks, enumerating the nether worlds stacked below one another, each separated by a fixed depth; a schematic vertical cross-section accompanies the narration.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Pātāla
• Atala
• Vitala
• Nitala
• Rasātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇa maps existence in layered realms, urging a broadened vision of creation beyond the human world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised; the verse is a cosmographic listing of the nether regions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.