पाताल

See also: पीतल and पतला

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit पाताल (pātāla).

Noun

पाताल • (pātāl) m

1. (Hinduism) the underworld, nether

Declension

Declension of पाताल (masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
direct	पाताल pātāl	पाताल pātāl
oblique	पाताल pātāl	पातालों pātālõ
vocative	पाताल pātāl	पातालो pātālo

Further reading

• McGregor, Ronald Stuart (1993) “पाताल”, in The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary, London: Oxford University Press

Sanskrit

Alternative forms

Alternative scripts

• পাতাল (Assamese script)
• ᬧᬵᬢᬵᬮ (Balinese script)
• পাতাল (Bengali script)
• 𑰢𑰯𑰝𑰯𑰩 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀧𑀸𑀢𑀸𑀮 (Brahmi script)
• ပါတာလ (Burmese script)
• પાતાલ (Gujarati script)
• ਪਾਤਾਲ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌪𑌾𑌤𑌾𑌲 (Grantha script)
• ꦥꦴꦠꦴꦭ (Javanese script)
• 𑂣𑂰𑂞𑂰𑂪 (Kaithi script)
• ಪಾತಾಲ (Kannada script)
• បាតាល (Khmer script)
• ປາຕາລ (Lao script)
• പാതാല (Malayalam script)
• ᢒᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᢠᠠ᠎᠊ᠠᠯᠠ (Manchu script)
• 𑘢𑘰𑘝𑘰𑘩 (Modi script)
• ᢒᠠᢗᢐᠠᢗᠯᠠ᠋ (Mongolian script)
• 𑧂𑧑𑦽𑧑𑧉 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐥𑐵𑐟𑐵𑐮 (Newa script)
• ପାତାଲ (Odia script)
• ꢦꢵꢡꢵꢭ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆥𑆳𑆠𑆳𑆬 (Sharada script)
• 𑖢𑖯𑖝𑖯𑖩 (Siddham script)
• පාතාල (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩰𑩛𑩫𑩛𑩽 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚞𑚭𑚙𑚭𑚥 (Takri script)
• பாதால (Tamil script)
• పాతాల (Telugu script)
• ปาตาล (Thai script)
• པཱ་ཏཱ་ལ (Tibetan script)
• 𑒣𑒰𑒞𑒰𑒪 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨞𑨊𑨙𑨊𑨬 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

Probably derives from पात (pāta, “fall, descent”), from the root पत् (pat, “to fall”), comparing to its religious location. The termination is likely related to आलय (ālaya, “place”), though compare the names for the other underworld realms which end in तल (tala, “bottom”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /pɑː.tɑː.lɐ/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /pɑːˈt̪ɑː.l̪ɐ/

Noun

पाताल • (pātāla) stem, n

1. an excavation, a hole in the earth
2. one of the 7 regions under the earth and the abode of the Nagas and Asuras (cf. RTL. 102 n. 1 &c) sometimes used as a general noun for the lower regions or hells
   • c. 400 CE, Kālidāsa, Raghuvaṃśa 1.80:

     हविषे दीर्घसत्रस्य सा चेदानीं प्रचेतसः।
     भुजङ्गपिहितद्वारं पातालमधितिष्ठति

     haviṣe dīrghasatrasya sā cedānīṃ pracetasaḥ.
     bhujaṅgapihitadvāraṃ pātālamadhitiṣṭhati

     present there in the netherworld -behind doors, sentineled by thicksnakes-
     was too the wise(man) with offertories for a long(standing) ritual

Descendants

• Pali: pātāla
• Bengali: পাতাল (patal)
• Hindi: पाताल (pātāl)
• Odia: ପାତାଳ (pātāḷa)

References

• Monier Williams (1899) “पाताल”, in A Sanskrit–English Dictionary, […], new edition, Oxford: At the Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 0616.