Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

शुद्धसत्त्वे ततो मोक्षं प्रवदंति मनीषिणः । तमसो रजसस्त स्मात्संशुद्ध्यर्थं च सर्वशः

Transliteration

śuddhasattve tato mokṣaṃ pravadaṃti manīṣiṇaḥ | tamaso rajasasta smātsaṃśuddhyarthaṃ ca sarvaśaḥ

Translation

Die Weisen verkünden, dass Befreiung (mokṣa) aus gereinigtem Sattva hervorgeht. Darum sind Tamas und Rajas auf jede Weise zu läutern, um vollkommene Reinheit zu erlangen.

Word by Word

• śuddha-sattve: in pure sattva
• śuddha-sattve: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddha (कृदन्त/विशेषण) + sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः)

• tataḥ: thereafter; from that
• tataḥ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद/क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• mokṣam: liberation
• mokṣam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mokṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• pravadanti: they declare
• pravadanti: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vad (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• manīṣiṇaḥ: the sages; the wise
• manīṣiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manīṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• tamasaḥ: from tamas; of tamas
• tamasaḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (ablative sense also possible in context)

• rajasaḥ: from rajas; of rajas
• rajasaḥ: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (ablative sense also possible in context)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-शब्दः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• saṃśuddhi-artham: for the sake of purification
• saṃśuddhi-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (saṃśuddheḥ arthaḥ)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• sarvaśaḥ: in every way; completely
• sarvaśaḥ: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'in every way/entirely')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene ascetic-teacher instructs disciples beside a Śaiva shrine; three guṇas appear as symbolic colors—white (sattva) rising, red (rajas) and black (tamas) dissolving—suggesting purification leading to liberation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is linked to inner purity and lucidity (śuddha-sattva), achieved by reducing rajas and tamas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is mentioned; the focus is soteriology (mokṣa) through guṇa-purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is named; it broadly urges practices that purify the mind and conduct.