Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

निर्मितं वै गुणैरादौ मह द्द्रव्यं प्रचक्ष्यते

Transliteration

nirmitaṃ vai guṇairādau maha ddravyaṃ pracakṣyate

Translation

Am Anfang, wahrlich, aus den Guṇas entsteht, so heißt es, das große Prinzip, genannt „Mahat“.

Word by Word

• निर्मितम्: made, created
• निर्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) / Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मित (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; उपसर्ग: निर् + √मि/मा?; प्रायः √मा/मि ‘निर्माणे’)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; past passive participle (PPP)

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• गुणैः: by the qualities (guṇas)
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (locative-usage adverb)

• महत्: great, vast
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective agreeing with द्रव्यम्

• द्रव्यम्: substance, matter
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• प्रचक्ष्यते: is called, is declared
• प्रचक्ष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; passive/impersonal sense: ‘is called/declared’

Speaker

Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An abstract cosmogonic tableau: the three guṇas as interweaving currents giving rise to a luminous ‘mahat’ sphere (cosmic intellect) that begins to differentiate the universe.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Guṇas
• Mahat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation unfolds in an ordered way; understanding the guṇas and cosmic principles supports discernment (viveka).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; this is philosophical groundwork within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a cosmological principle (mahat) arising from the guṇas.