Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

ततः स नरकं याति स्वर्गं वा स्वेन कर्मणा । रौरवाद्याश्च नरकाः पातालतलसंस्थिताः

Transliteration

tataḥ sa narakaṃ yāti svargaṃ vā svena karmaṇā | rauravādyāśca narakāḥ pātālatalasaṃsthitāḥ

Translation

అనంతరం అతడు తన కర్మఫలానుసారంగా నరకమునకు గాని స్వర్గమునకు గాని చేరును. రౌరవాది నరకములు పాతాళతలములలో స్థితమై యున్నవి.

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter; from that
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — 'ततः' = तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् (thereafter/from that)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (he)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/विकल्प-बोधक निपात) — 'or'

• स्वेन: by one's own
• स्वेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (own)

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• रौरव-आद्याः: beginning with Raurava
• रौरव-आद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raurava + ādi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'रौरव' इत्यादयः (beginning with Raurava)

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

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• पाताल-तल-संस्थिताः: situated in the nether regions
• पाताल-तल-संस्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātāla + tala + saṃsthita (कृदन्त; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'संस्थित' (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, √स्था) = स्थिताः; पातालतले (in the netherworld-level) स्थिताः

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmogram: earth in the middle, Svarga above, Pātāla below; labeled narakas beginning with Raurava in the nether tiers; a lone jīva moving along a path shaped by deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Raurava
• Pātāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One’s destiny after death is determined by one’s own karma, leading to heaven or hell accordingly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it describes purāṇic cosmology and karmic retribution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes ethical causality (karma).