Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

निर्मितं वै गुणैरादौ मह द्द्रव्यं प्रचक्ष्यते

Transliteration

nirmitaṃ vai guṇairādau maha ddravyaṃ pracakṣyate

Translation

Au commencement, des guṇas, dit-on, naquit le grand principe nommé « mahat ».

Word by Word

• निर्मितम्: made, created
• निर्मितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) / Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मित (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; उपसर्ग: निर् + √मि/मा?; प्रायः √मा/मि ‘निर्माणे’)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; past passive participle (PPP)

• वै: indeed, surely
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• गुणैः: by the qualities (guṇas)
• गुणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (locative-usage adverb)

• महत्: great, vast
• महत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective agreeing with द्रव्यम्

• द्रव्यम्: substance, matter
• द्रव्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• प्रचक्ष्यते: is called, is declared
• प्रचक्ष्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; passive/impersonal sense: ‘is called/declared’

Speaker

Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An abstract cosmogonic tableau: the three guṇas as interweaving currents giving rise to a luminous ‘mahat’ sphere (cosmic intellect) that begins to differentiate the universe.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Guṇas
• Mahat

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation unfolds in an ordered way; understanding the guṇas and cosmic principles supports discernment (viveka).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; this is philosophical groundwork within the Dharmāraṇya māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a cosmological principle (mahat) arising from the guṇas.