Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

तलातलं च सुतलं पातालं चापि सप्तमम् । कृष्णशुक्लारुणाः पीताः शर्कराशैलकांचनाः

Transliteration

talātalaṃ ca sutalaṃ pātālaṃ cāpi saptamam | kṛṣṇaśuklāruṇāḥ pītāḥ śarkarāśailakāṃcanāḥ

Translation

ଏହାପରେ ତଲାତଳ, ସୁତଳ ଏବଂ ସପ୍ତମ ପାତାଳ ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି। ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକ କୃଷ୍ଣ, ଶୁକ୍ଳ, ଅରୁଣ ଓ ପୀତ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣର—ଶର୍କରା, ପର୍ବତ ଓ ସୁବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ପରି ଦୀପ୍ତିମାନ ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• तलातलम्: Talātala
• तलातलम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तल + अतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (tala-ātalam)

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

• सुतलम्: Sutala
• सुतलम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पातालम्: Pātāla
• पातालम्: Karma (Apposition/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (also/even)

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• कृष्ण: black
• कृष्ण: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग)

• शुक्ल: white
• शुक्ल: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुक्ल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग)

• अरुणाः: reddish
• अरुणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पीताः: yellow
• पीताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• शर्करा: gravel; pebbles
• शर्करा: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर्करा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• शैल: mountain
• शैल: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शैल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासाङ्ग) पुंलिङ्ग

• काञ्चनाः: golden
• काञ्चनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Talātala, Sutala, Pātāla (as nether lokas)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kauravya (Kuru scion)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical panorama of the lower worlds: bands of distinct colors—black, white, red, yellow—glittering like gravel, mountains, and gold; the seventh level named Pātāla at the base.

Characters & Entities

• Talātala
• Sutala
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even lower realms possess ordered beauty and structure; creation is vast, graded, and purposeful within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is mentioned; the verse characterizes subterranean worlds.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.