Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

एका मूर्तिर्महेशस्य कारणान्तरमागता । त्रैगुण्या कुरुते कर्म ब्रह्मचक्रीशरूपतः

Transliteration

ekā mūrtirmaheśasya kāraṇāntaramāgatā | traiguṇyā kurute karma brahmacakrīśarūpataḥ

Translation

Eine einzige Gestalt Mahēśas, durch eine andere ursächliche Weise hervorgetreten, vollzieht die Werke durch die drei Guṇas und erscheint als Brahmā, als der Diskusträger (Viṣṇu) und als Īśa (Śiva).

Word by Word

• ekā: one
• ekā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mūrtiḥ)

• mūrtiḥ: form; manifestation
• mūrtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• maheśasya: of Maheśa (Śiva)
• maheśasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kāraṇa-antaram: another cause; another reason
• kāraṇa-antaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘अन्यत् कारणम्’ (another cause/occasion)

• āgatā: having come; arisen
• āgatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• traiguṇyā: the triad of guṇas
• traiguṇyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘त्रयः गुणाः’ (the threefold qualities)

• kurute: does; performs
• kurute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• karma: action; deed
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brahma-cakrīśa-rūpataḥ: in the form of Brahmā and Cakrīśa (Viṣṇu)
• brahma-cakrīśa-rūpataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + cakrīśa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: ‘in the form of/as’); समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (brahmaṇo rūpaḥ / cakrīśasya rūpaḥ इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (doctrinal glorification within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single luminous Maheśa-form stands at center, from whom three emanations appear: Brahmā (four-faced), Viṣṇu (with cakra), and Īśa/Śiva (with trident), all connected by rays, set against a cosmic mandala of the three guṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Cakrī)
• Īśa
• Triguṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one Supreme manifests in multiple divine roles; sectarian division misses the underlying unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a particular site; it provides theological grounding within the Revā-khaṇḍa’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal (tattva) instruction.