Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

न स्वर्गे न च पाताले मानुष्ये क्व च तत्सुखम् । समाधिं निश्चलं प्राप्य यत्सुखं विंदते नरः

Transliteration

na svarge na ca pātāle mānuṣye kva ca tatsukham | samādhiṃ niścalaṃ prāpya yatsukhaṃ viṃdate naraḥ

Translation

ସେ ସୁଖ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗରେ ନୁହେଁ, ପାତାଳରେ ନୁହେଁ, ମାନବଲୋକରେ କେଉଁଠି ମଧ୍ୟ ନୁହେଁ; ନିଶ୍ଚଳ ସମାଧି ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରି ନର ଯେ ଆନନ୍ଦ ଲଭେ, ସେଇ।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• न: nor
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: “and”)

• पाताले: in the netherworld
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मानुष्ये: in the human (world)
• मानुष्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• क्व: where
• क्व: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb: “where?”)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• समाधिम्: samādhi (deep absorption)
• समाधिम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• निश्चलम्: steady, unmoving
• निश्चलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (समाधिम्)

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund/Absolutive): “having attained”

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• सुखम्: happiness
• सुखम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विन्दते: finds/attains
• विन्दते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuru-nandana (a Kuru prince; likely Janamejaya in Purāṇic framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Cosmic vertical panorama: svarga above, pātāla below, human world in the middle—yet the yogin in samādhi radiates a greater, centered light, dwarfing the pleasures of all three realms.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Samādhi yields a bliss surpassing worldly and even celestial pleasures, pointing toward liberation-centered dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse contrasts samādhi-bliss with cosmic realms (svarga/pātāla).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied pursuit is steady meditation culminating in niścala samādhi.