Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

प्रकृतिः पुरुषश्चैव अनादी श्रृणुमः पुरा । साधर्म्येणावतिष्ठेते सृष्टेः प्रागजरामरौ

Transliteration

prakṛtiḥ puruṣaścaiva anādī śrṛṇumaḥ purā | sādharmyeṇāvatiṣṭhete sṛṣṭeḥ prāgajarāmarau

Translation

Prakṛti und Puruṣa sind wahrlich anfangslos—so haben wir es seit alters her vernommen. Vor der Schöpfung verweilen sie gemeinsam in einem gleichen Zustand, beide ohne Alter und ohne Tod.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti (Nature)
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरुषः: Puruṣa (Person/Spirit)
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed)

• अनादी: beginningless (both)
• अनादी: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषण (of प्रकृतिः, पुरुषः as a dual pair)

• शृणुमः: we hear/learn
• शृणुमः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालार्थक-अव्यय (formerly, of old)

• साधर्म्येण: by similarity (of nature)
• साधर्म्येण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवतिष्ठेते: they both remain/stand
• अवतिष्ठेते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual); आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: अव

• सृष्टेः: of creation
• सृष्टेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राक्: before
• प्राक्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पूर्वकालार्थक-अव्यय (before)

• अजरामरौ: unaging and deathless (both)
• अजरामरौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजर (प्रातिपदिक) + अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); द्वन्द्व (अजरश्च अमरश्च) विशेषण (of प्रकृतिः-पुरुषौ)

Speaker

Bāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The inquirer

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two principles depicted: Prakṛti as a veiled, tri-colored (guṇas) cosmic matrix; Puruṣa as a clear, luminous witness. Before creation they stand in poised balance, no motion, no differentiation.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Puruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is explained through eternal principles—prakṛti and puruṣa—rather than a purely temporal beginning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is doctrinal cosmology, not a site-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides metaphysical categories used to interpret bondage and liberation.