Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

स्वर्गे वा मस्तके चैव पाताले चाथ पादयोः । सांप्रतं मर्त्यलोके च मया दृष्टमनेकशः

Transliteration

svarge vā mastake caiva pātāle cātha pādayoḥ | sāṃprataṃ martyaloke ca mayā dṛṣṭamanekaśaḥ

Translation

స్వర్గంలో అయినా, శిరస్సులో అయినా, పాతాళంలో అయినా, పాదాల వద్ద అయినా—ఇప్పుడైతే మర్త్యలోకంలో కూడా—నేను దీనిని అనేకసార్లు, అనేక విధాలుగా చూశాను।

Word by Word

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्प (or)

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

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

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• अथ: then, also
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तर/प्रस्ताव (then/and further)

• पादयोः: at the feet (two)
• पादयोः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), द्विवचन

• साम्प्रतम्: now, at present
• साम्प्रतम्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साम्प्रतम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (now/at present)

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; मर्त्य + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (मर्त्यानां लोकः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Kriya (Predicative in passive construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थे (seen)

• अनेकशः: many times
• अनेकशः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकशस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/आवृत्तिवाचक (many times/in many ways)

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmic diagram: svarga above, pātāla below, martyaloka in the middle; a witnessing sage/deity points to repeated scenes of the same moral pattern across levels; the ‘head’ and ‘feet’ imagery is shown as a cosmic body metaphor.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Svarga
• Pātāla
• Martya-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma’s disturbances are not merely local; the sage perceives patterns across realms, urging vigilance and right conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse provides a cosmic scope to the narrative before returning to Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is descriptive, establishing the authority of the speaker’s wide witnessing.