Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

पाताले विवरं तत्र योगिन्यस्तत्र किं पुरा । तथा मातृगणश्चैव कथमेतदभूत्पुरा

Transliteration

pātāle vivaraṃ tatra yoginyastatra kiṃ purā | tathā mātṛgaṇaścaiva kathametadabhūtpurā

Translation

ਅਤੇ ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਸਮੇਂ ਉੱਥੇ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਵੱਲ ਜਾਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਉਹ ਵਿਵਰ ਕਿਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਸੀ? ਉੱਥੇ ਯੋਗਿਨੀਆਂ ਕੌਣ ਸਨ, ਅਤੇ ਮਾਤ੍ਰਿਗਣ ਦਾ ਸਮੂਹ ਵੀ—ਇਹ ਸਭ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਕਿਵੇਂ ਹੋਇਆ?

Word by Word

• पाताले: in the netherworld (Pātāla)
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• विवरम्: a hole, opening
• विवरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/प्रथमा or 2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• योगिन्यः: yoginīs
• योगिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• पुरा: formerly, earlier
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तथा: likewise, and also
• तथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (manner adverb)

• मातृगणः: the group of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृगणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मातॄणां गणः)

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

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक सर्वनाम

• अभूत्: became, happened
• अभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/अद्यतनभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Devī (Pārvatī) to Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla-vivara (Prabhāsa context)

Type: cave

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī asks about an ancient opening to Pātāla and the presence of Yoginīs and Mātṛs at Prabhāsa; imagery suggests a dark cave-mouth near a shrine, guarded by fierce yet protective goddesses.

Characters & Entities

• Pātāla
• Yoginīs
• Mātṛgaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrthas are not merely physical places; they carry layered, ancient sacred histories linking worlds, deities, and spiritual powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, with reference to a specific sacred feature described as a ‘vivara’ connected to Pātāla.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse asks for the origin narrative of the site’s sacred features and attendant deities.