Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73
सुखिनो दुःखिनश्चैव प्राणिनः शास्त्रदर्शिनः । अष्टाविंशतिलक्षैश्च गुणमेकैकमीश्वरः
sukhino duḥkhinaścaiva prāṇinaḥ śāstradarśinaḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatilakṣaiśca guṇamekaikamīśvaraḥ
Die Wesen erscheinen als glücklich und unglücklich, und auch als solche, die die Lehre der Śāstras schauen. Und der Herr (Īśvara) teilte jede einzelne guṇa, eine nach der anderen, in Maßen aus, die auf achtundzwanzig Lakhs gezählt werden, als eine gewaltige Verteilung unter den Geschöpfen.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)
Scene: A cosmic tableau: Īśvara overseeing a vast field of beings, each marked with subtle color-coding of guṇas; some hold scriptures (śāstra-darśin), others are caught in pleasure/pain cycles.
FAQs
Diversity of experience—happiness, suffering, and spiritual insight—arises within a vast cosmic distribution governed by Īśvara and shaped by guṇas.
No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it discusses cosmic classification of beings.
No ritual instruction appears; the focus is on understanding creation through śāstra and guṇa theory.