Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

तस्माद्बुद्धिमुकैस्त्वतैः सात्त्विकैर्देवतां भजेत् । राजसैर्मानवत्वं च तामसैः स्थाणुयोनिता

Transliteration

tasmādbuddhimukaistvataiḥ sāttvikairdevatāṃ bhajet | rājasairmānavatvaṃ ca tāmasaiḥ sthāṇuyonitā

Translation

Therefore, by dispositions that are sāttvika and guided by awakened understanding, one should worship the Deity and attains the state of the gods; by rājasa dispositions one gains human birth; and by tāmasa dispositions one falls into the yoni of immobile beings (sthāṇu).

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक तद्)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; हेत्वर्थे—‘अतः’

• बुद्धिमुकैः: by the intellect-guided (wise)
• बुद्धिमुकैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि + मुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—बुद्धेः मुकः/मुखः (पाठभेद-संभवः; ‘buddhi-mukha’ = guided by intellect)

• त्वतैः: by those (reading uncertain)
• त्वतैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वत (प्रातिपदिक; अनिश्चित-पाठ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पाठदोष/संदिग्ध-रूपम् (संभाव्यः—‘व्रतैः’/‘यतैः’ इत्यादि)

• सात्त्विकैः: by sattvic (ones)
• सात्त्विकैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (बुद्धिमुकैः/त्वतैः)

• देवताम्: divinity, deity-state
• देवताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भजेत्: should attain/partake in, should worship
• भजेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातुः—भज्

• राजसैः: by rajasic (ones)
• राजसैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (करणे)

• मानवत्वम्: human state
• मानवत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानवत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• तामसैः: by tamasic (ones)
• तामसैः: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (करणे)

• स्थाणुयोनिता: birth as a stationary being (plant etc.)
• स्थाणुयोनिता: Karma (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु + योनि + ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स्थाणोः योनिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + ता (भावप्रत्यय)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vertical cosmological chart: at top devas in luminous realm; middle humans in earthly scene; bottom immobile beings as trees/rocks; a traveler’s path rises with white light (sattva) and sinks with dark weight (tamas).

Characters & Entities

• Devatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner qualities shape destiny: sattva elevates, rajas keeps one in human striving, and tamas drags consciousness toward inert or lower states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the teaching is philosophical (guṇa-based cosmology) rather than a tīrtha-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is stated; the implied practice is cultivation of sattva through disciplined, dhārmic living.