Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सुखिनो दुःखिनश्चैव प्राणिनः शास्त्रदर्शिनः । अष्टाविंशतिलक्षैश्च गुणमेकैकमीश्वरः

Transliteration

sukhino duḥkhinaścaiva prāṇinaḥ śāstradarśinaḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatilakṣaiśca guṇamekaikamīśvaraḥ

Translation

Beings are seen as happy and unhappy, and also as those who perceive the teaching of the śāstras. And the Lord (Īśvara) apportioned each single guṇa, one by one, in measures counted in twenty-eight lakhs, as a vast distribution among creatures.

Word by Word

• सुखिनः: happy
• सुखिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘प्राणिनः’)

• दुःखिनः: unhappy/suffering
• दुःखिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘प्राणिनः’)

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• शास्त्रदर्शिनः: seeing/knowing the scriptures
• शास्त्रदर्शिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + दर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन; समासः—शास्त्रदर्शिन् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘शास्त्रस्य दर्शी’); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘प्राणिनः’)

• अष्टाविंशतिलक्षैः: by twenty-eight lakhs (in number)
• अष्टाविंशतिलक्षैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टाविंशति + लक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-समाहार, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—अष्टाविंशतिलक्ष (द्विगु: ‘अष्टाविंशतिः लक्षाणि’ = twenty-eight lakhs)

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

• गुणम्: quality
• गुणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• एकैकम्: each one (individually)
• एकैकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—एकैक (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः: ‘एकं च एकं च’ → distributive ‘each single’); विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘गुणम्’)

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Diversity of experience—happiness, suffering, and spiritual insight—arises within a vast cosmic distribution governed by Īśvara and shaped by guṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it discusses cosmic classification of beings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; the focus is on understanding creation through śāstra and guṇa theory.