Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

रजोरूपाः सत्त्वरूपास्तमोरूपाश्च ये नराः । सर्वे ते भवता कार्या गुणत्रयविभागतः

Transliteration

rajorūpāḥ sattvarūpāstamorūpāśca ye narāḥ | sarve te bhavatā kāryā guṇatrayavibhāgataḥ

Translation

(Brahmā sprach:) „Die Wesen, die von rajas, von sattva und von tamas geprägt sind—erschaffe sie alle gemäß der Einteilung der drei guṇas.“

Word by Word

• रजोरूपाः: of rajoguṇa-nature
• रजोरूपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रजसः रूपम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सत्त्वरूपाः: of sattvaguṇa-nature
• सत्त्वरूपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तमोरूपाः: of tamoguṇa-nature
• तमोरूपाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नराः: men, beings
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कार्याः: to be made/created
• कार्याः: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• गुणत्रयविभागतः: according to the division of the three guṇas
• गुणत्रयविभागतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + विभाग (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from/according to'); समासः: गुणत्रयस्य विभागः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Brahmā (implied by continuation of dialogue; explicit speaker marker not present in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā receives a command concerning creation: beings are to be produced according to the three guṇas, shown as three streams or colors emanating into the cosmos.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Guṇa-traya (sattva-rajas-tamas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All embodied life expresses the three guṇas; wisdom lies in recognizing their workings and aligning conduct toward sattva and dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The doctrinal teaching is presented within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of Prabhāsa, where sacred place and sacred cosmology reinforce each other.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it is a cosmological instruction framed in guṇa-theory.