Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

निःसरंति यथा लोहात्तप्तल्लिंगात्स्फुलिंगकाः । तन्मात्रभूतसर्गोयमहंकारात्तु तामसात्

Transliteration

niḥsaraṃti yathā lohāttaptalliṃgātsphuliṃgakāḥ | tanmātrabhūtasargoyamahaṃkārāttu tāmasāt

Translation

Wie Funken aus glühendem Eisen hervorspringen, so geht die Hervorbringung der tanmātra und der grobstofflichen Elemente aus der tamasischen Gestalt des Ahaṃkāra hervor.

Word by Word

• niḥsaranti: they come out; they issue forth
• niḥsaranti: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nis-√sṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Adverbial (उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (comparative particle: 'as/just as')

• lohāt: from iron
• lohāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• tapta-liṅgāt: from the heated (iron) mass/mark
• tapta-liṅgāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapta (कृदन्त, √tap) + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• sphuliṅgakāḥ: sparks
• sphuliṅgakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sphuliṅgaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• tanmātra-bhūta-sargaḥ: the creation of the subtle elements and beings
• tanmātra-bhūta-sargaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanmātra (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + sarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (tanmātrāṇāṃ bhūtānāṃ sargaḥ)

• ayam: this
• ayam: Predicate/Deictic (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ahaṃkārāt: from ego-principle (ahaṃkāra)
• ahaṃkārāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahaṃkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• tu: but
• tu: Adverbial (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषण निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• tāmasāt: from the tamasic (one)
• tāmasāt: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāmasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; विशेषण (ahaṃkāra-viśeṣaṇa)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blacksmith-like cosmic forge: a glowing mass (ahaṃkāra) emits sparks that transform into five subtle essences (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) and then into the gross elements, arranged as a mandala of creation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Material manifestation (subtle and gross elements) is traced to the tamasic conditioning of ego, highlighting the need to transcend it for freedom.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred geography appears here; it is cosmological exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes the emergence of elements, not ritual duties.