Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तस्याः प्रोच्चारणार्थं च प्रवृत्तः स्वांशतस्ततः । असूयत महत्तत्त्वं त्रिगुणं तद्विदुर्बुधाः

Transliteration

tasyāḥ proccāraṇārthaṃ ca pravṛttaḥ svāṃśatastataḥ | asūyata mahattattvaṃ triguṇaṃ tadvidurbudhāḥ

Translation

Entonces, desde Su propia porción, Él se puso en acción para que ella pudiera articularse y manifestarse. De ello surgió el principio llamado Mahat, dotado de los tres guṇas, como declaran los sabios.

Word by Word

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन — सर्वनाम

• प्रोच्चारणार्थम्: for the purpose of utterance/manifestation
• प्रोच्चारणार्थम्: Karma (Purpose-object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + उच्चारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘उच्चारणस्य अर्थः/प्रयोजनम्’ (for the purpose of utterance/manifestation); तत्पुरुष

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक)

• प्रवृत्तः: set forth/engaged
• प्रवृत्तः: Karta (Agent-state/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + √वृत् (धातु) वर्तने
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘set in motion/engaged’

• स्वांशतः: from (his) own portion
• स्वांशतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — ‘स्वस्य अंशः’ (from his own portion); ablative

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• असूयत: was produced
• असूयत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सू (धातु) प्रसवे (to beget/produce)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘was produced/was born’

• महत्तत्त्वम्: the great principle (Mahat-tattva)
• महत्तत्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — कर्मधारयः (‘महत् तत्त्वम्’); here as subject of ‘असूयत’

• त्रिगुणम्: three-guṇed
• त्रिगुणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — विशेषण; ‘having three guṇas’

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — सर्वनाम; ‘that’ (referring to mahattattva)

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु) ज्ञाने
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — ‘they know’

• बुधाः: the wise
• बुधाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant sphere labeled ‘Mahat’ emerges from the divine essence, illuminating Prakṛti’s previously indistinct forms into clear outlines—like dawn revealing a landscape.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation begins as a purposeful manifestation from the Divine, with Mahat (cosmic intelligence) arising as the first tri-guṇic principle.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; the focus is philosophical cosmology within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse explains metaphysical origination rather than prescribing vrata, dāna, snāna, or japa.