Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वैकुण्ठे च गताः सर्वे क्षीराब्धौ च निजालये । पातालेऽपि पुनर्गत्वा न विदुः कृष्णदर्शनम्

Transliteration

vaikuṇṭhe ca gatāḥ sarve kṣīrābdhau ca nijālaye | pātāle'pi punargatvā na viduḥ kṛṣṇadarśanam

Translation

Họ đều đến Vaikuṇṭha, rồi đến Biển Sữa—chính thánh cư của Ngài. Dẫu lại đi xuống tận Pātāla, họ vẫn không được chiêm bái (darśana) Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

• वैकुण्ठे: in Vaikuṇṭha
• वैकुण्ठे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकुण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

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

• गताः: went
• गताः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘gone’

• सर्वे: all (of them)
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• क्षीराब्धौ: in the Ocean of Milk
• क्षीराब्धौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर + अब्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘क्षीरस्य अब्धिः’

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

• निजालये: in their own abode
• निजालये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘निजः आलयः’

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

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); ‘also/even’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरावृत्त्यर्थक (again)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/absolutive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-अन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); ‘having gone’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• विदुः: they found/knew
• विदुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृष्णदर्शनम्: the sight of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णदर्शनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘कृष्णस्य दर्शनम्’

Speaker

Vyāsa (continuing narration from prior verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaikuṇṭha; Kṣīrābdhi; Pātāla (cosmic tīrthas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas journey through three realms—Vaikuṇṭha’s luminous city, the Milk Ocean with Śeṣa and waves of white, and the shadowed jeweled Pātāla—yet return without seeing Kṛṣṇa; their faces show yearning and perplexity.

Characters & Entities

• Vaikuṇṭha
• Kṣīrābdhi (Milk Ocean)
• Pātāla
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine vision (darśana) is not guaranteed by mere movement through sacred realms; it depends on the Lord’s will and inner fitness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Cosmic abodes are mentioned (Vaikuṇṭha, Kṣīrābdhi, Pātāla) rather than an earthly pilgrimage tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a search for darśana.