Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

स्वर्लोकादपिरम्याणि पातालानीति नारदः । प्राह स्वर्गसदां मध्ये पातालेभ्यः समागतः

Transliteration

svarlokādapiramyāṇi pātālānīti nāradaḥ | prāha svargasadāṃ madhye pātālebhyaḥ samāgataḥ

Translation

పాతాళముల నుండి పైకి వచ్చి నారదుడు స్వర్గసభ మధ్యలో పలికెను—“స్వర్గలోకముకన్నా పాతాళములు మరింత రమ్యమైనవి.”

Word by Word

• स्वर्लोकात्: than Svarga-loka
• स्वर्लोकात्: Apadana (Source/Comparison base/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अपादान

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• रम्याणि: more delightful
• रम्याणि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पातालानि)

• पातालानि: the netherworlds
• पातालानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

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

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• स्वर्ग-सदाम्: of the dwellers in heaven
• स्वर्ग-सदाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + सद्/सदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• पातालेभ्यः: from the netherworlds
• पातालेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), बहुवचन; अपादान

• समागतः: having come/arrived
• समागतः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; विशेषण (नारदः)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating; Nārada quoted within the verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pātāla (general)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, veena in hand, rises from subterranean realms and addresses the devas in a radiant court; behind him, a glimpse of jeweled Pātāla caverns contrasts with svarga’s airy brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Svarga (Svarloka)
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the most desired realms are relative; Purāṇas use such comparisons to redirect seekers from pleasure-worlds toward higher liberation-focused goals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tirtha is named in this verse; it is cosmological narration within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it reports Nārada’s statement after traveling from Pātāla to Svarga.