Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

यथा सत्त्वं संभवति सत्त्वयुक्तभवं नराः । राजसाश्च तथा ज्ञेयास्ता मसाश्चैव ते द्विजाः

Transliteration

yathā sattvaṃ saṃbhavati sattvayuktabhavaṃ narāḥ | rājasāśca tathā jñeyāstā masāścaiva te dvijāḥ

Translation

كما يظهر السَّتْفَا (sattva) يولد الناس مولودين به؛ وكذلك ينبغي أن يُعرَفوا رَاجَسِيّين (rājasa) أو تَامَسِيّين (tāmasa)—هكذا هو الأمر، يا مولودين مرتين.

Word by Word

• यथा: as/according to how
• यथा: Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according as)

• सत्त्वम्: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• संभवति: arises/comes to be
• संभवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्त्वयुक्तभवम्: of sattva-associated nature
• सत्त्वयुक्तभवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व + युक्त + भव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying narān understood): ‘सत्त्वेन युक्तः भवः यस्य’ (having a sattvic nature)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• राजसाः: rajasic
• राजसाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of people)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• ज्ञेयाः: are to be known
• ज्ञेयाः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्: ‘ज्ञेयाः’ = to be known

• तामसाः: tamasic
• तामसाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

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

• द्विजाः: O twice-born/brāhmaṇas
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (O twice-born)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three archetypal figures: a serene sāttvika ascetic, an active rājasa householder/warrior, and a lethargic tāmasa figure; behind them, subtle tri-color aura indicating guṇas; sages point in instruction.

Characters & Entities

• sattva
• rajas
• tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Embodied dispositions and births are shaped by the three guṇas; spiritual practice aims at rising beyond their conditioning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra setting contextualizes this guṇa-teaching as groundwork for liberation through Śiva.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a doctrinal classification of beings by guṇa predominance.