Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 146

Devanagari script

नवतत्तवमयं देहं दशमः पुरुषो मतः । तस्माद्गंधेन तृप्यंति रसतत्त्वेन ते तथा

Transliteration

navatattavamayaṃ dehaṃ daśamaḥ puruṣo mataḥ | tasmādgaṃdhena tṛpyaṃti rasatattvena te tathā

Translation

يُعَدُّ الجسدُ مؤلَّفًا من تسعةِ تَتْفَات (tattva)، ويُعَدُّ البُرُوشا (Puruṣa) العاشر. فلذلك يَشْبَعُونَ بعنصرِ الشمِّ، وكذلك بعنصرِ الذوق، أي بجوهرِه اللطيف.

Word by Word

• nava-tattva-mayam: consisting of nine tattvas
• nava-tattva-mayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नवानां तत्त्वानां मयम् = consisting of nine principles)

• deham: body
• deham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• daśamaḥ: tenth
• daśamaḥ: Karta (Predicate-adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daśama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal)

• puruṣaḥ: person/Puruṣa
• puruṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• mataḥ: is considered
• mataḥ: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (मन् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; अर्थः ‘मतः/considered’

• tasmāt: from that/therefore
• tasmāt: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th case), एकवचन; अपादान (ablative)

• gaṃdhena: by smell/fragrance
• gaṃdhena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• tṛpyanti: are satisfied
• tṛpyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (तृप् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• rasa-tattvena: by the principle of taste
• rasa-tattvena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक) + tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रसस्य तत्त्वम्)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• tathā: likewise/thus
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/तुल्यतावाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/likewise)

Speaker

Mahākāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Questioner in the dialogue (unnamed in provided excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tray with sandal paste, incense, and libation water is shown emitting subtle essences that rise as colored streams (gandha and rasa) toward invisible recipients; a faint diagram of nine tattvas plus Puruṣa overlays the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣa
• Pitṛs
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Offerings work through subtle essences (gandha, rasa), not merely gross material transfer; consciousness (Puruṣa) is distinct from material principles.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied: offerings should be pure and fragrant/nourishing in essence, since subtle smell and taste are what satisfy subtle recipients.