Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

यामाहुः प्रकृतिं तज्ज्ञाः पदार्थानां विचक्षणाः । पुरुषत्वे प्रकृतित्वे च कारणं परमेश्वरः

Transliteration

yāmāhuḥ prakṛtiṃ tajjñāḥ padārthānāṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ | puruṣatve prakṛtitve ca kāraṇaṃ parameśvaraḥ

Translation

Was die Kenner der Wahrheit—kundig im Unterscheiden der Prinzipien des Seins—«Prakṛti» nennen: Parameśvara allein ist die höchste Ursache sowohl des Puruṣa-Seins als auch des Prakṛti-Seins.

Word by Word

• yām: whom/which
• yām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• āhuḥ: they have said, call
• āhuḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural

• prakṛtim: Prakṛti, nature
• prakṛtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/सम्बोधनार्थ), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• tajjñāḥ: knowers of that (experts)
• tajjñāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• padārthānām: of entities/things
• padārthānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• vicakṣaṇāḥ: discerning, wise
• vicakṣaṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi + cakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• puruṣatve: in the state of Puruṣa-hood
• puruṣatve: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣatva (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• prakṛtitve: in the state of Prakṛti-hood
• prakṛtitve: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prakṛtitva (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — coordinating conjunction

• kāraṇam: cause
• kāraṇam: Pradhāna (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular (predicate noun)

• parameśvaraḥ: the Supreme Lord
• parameśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Śiva (deduced from immediate continuation where Mahādeva addresses Devī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like assembly of tattva-jñas points to a diagrammatic cosmos: Prakṛti as a flowing matrix, Puruṣa as luminous consciousness, both arising from a higher radiance labeled Parameśvara above them.

Characters & Entities

• Parameśvara
• Prakṛti
• Puruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All cosmic principles—whether ‘spirit’ (Puruṣa) or ‘nature’ (Prakṛti)—ultimately depend on Parameśvara as their root cause.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, associated with the sacred Revā (Narmadā) region and its tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a doctrinal statement establishing Śiva’s supremacy as the causal principle.