Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

सात्त्विकाः सर्वदा सेव्याः संसारविजिगीषुभिः । गुणत्रयस्य वक्ष्यामि संक्षेपाल्लक्षणं तव

Transliteration

sāttvikāḥ sarvadā sevyāḥ saṃsāravijigīṣubhiḥ | guṇatrayasya vakṣyāmi saṃkṣepāllakṣaṇaṃ tava

Translation

Those who wish to conquer saṃsāra should always cultivate what is sāttvic. Now I shall tell you, in brief, the defining marks of the three guṇas.

Word by Word

• सात्त्विकाः: sattvic (persons/things)
• सात्त्विकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (जनाः/गुणाः इति अध्याहारः)

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सेव्याः: to be served/resorted to
• सेव्याः: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicative qualifier/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव्य (प्रातिपदिक; √सेव्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• संसारविजिगीषुभिः: by those wishing to conquer saṃsāra
• संसारविजिगीषुभिः: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + विजिगीषु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—संसारस्य विजिगीषुः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• गुणत्रयस्य: of the three guṇas
• गुणत्रयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—त्रयो गुणाः (द्विगु-समास)

• वक्ष्यामि: I will explain
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातुः—वच्

• संक्षेपात्: briefly
• संक्षेपात्: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे—‘संक्षेपेण’ (in brief)

• लक्षणम्: characteristic, definition
• लक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: for you / of you
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher figure (Skanda) points to a tri-colored wheel of guṇas while a seeker stands with a pilgrim’s staff; the wheel is being ‘conquered’ by a white banner of sattva.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Victory over saṃsāra comes through consistent cultivation of sattva and discernment of guṇa-characteristics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the passage is instructional on guṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes continual sāttvic conduct as a spiritual discipline.