Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

वेदेष्वाहुर्विराड्रूपं त्वामेकरूपमीदृशम् । पातालं पादमूलं च पार्ष्णिपादे रसातलम्

Transliteration

vedeṣvāhurvirāḍrūpaṃ tvāmekarūpamīdṛśam | pātālaṃ pādamūlaṃ ca pārṣṇipāde rasātalam

Translation

वेदेषु त्वां विराड्रूपमेकमेवेदृशं विदुः; पातालं पादमूलं ते, पार्ष्णिपादे रसातलम्।

Word by Word

• वेदेषु: in the Vedas
• वेदेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन — 'in the Vedas'

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (अह्)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद — 'they say'

• विराड्रूपम्: the Virāṭ form
• विराड्रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virāṭ (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विराजः रूपम्) — 'Virāṭ-form'

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम — 'you' (object)

• एकरूपम्: single-formed
• एकरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (एकं रूपं) — 'single-formed'

• ईदृशम्: such
• ईदृशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: īdṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन — 'such/like this'

• पातालम्: Pātāla
• पातालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — 'Pātāla (netherworld)'

• पादमूलम्: the foot-root
• पादमूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पादस्य मूलम्) — 'root/sole of the foot'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — 'and'

• पार्ष्णिपादे: in the heel
• पार्ष्णिपादे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārṣṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्राय (पार्ष्णौ पादे) — 'in the heel/heel-foot'

• रसातलम्: Rasātala
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasātala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — 'Rasātala (nether region)'

Speaker

Devas (collective stuti)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A partial Virāṭ visualization focusing on the feet: the divine cosmic form stands vast; beneath/at the feet are labeled realms—Pātāla at the sole, Rasātala at heel/foot—suggesting a vertical cosmography.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Virāṭ (cosmic form)
• Pātāla
• Rasātala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All realms—even the netherworlds—are integrated within the divine cosmic body, affirming sacred order throughout existence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse maps cosmological realms, not pilgrimage geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is part of a descriptive stuti of the Virāṭ-form.