Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवा देवा रजःसत्त्वतमोमयाः । सृष्टिं करोति भगवान्ब्रह्मा पालयते हरिः

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇuśivā devā rajaḥsattvatamomayāḥ | sṛṣṭiṃ karoti bhagavānbrahmā pālayate hariḥ

Translation

Les dieux Brahmā, Viṣṇu et Śiva sont constitués de rajas, sattva et tamas. Le Bienheureux Brahmā accomplit la création, et Hari (Viṣṇu) assure la préservation.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाः: Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva
• ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + शिव (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (m. nom. pl.)

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (m. nom. pl.)

• रजःसत्त्वतमोमयाः: made of rajas, sattva, and tamas
• रजःसत्त्वतमोमयाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् + सत्त्व + तमस् + मय (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण; समासः—बहु-तत्पुरुष (रजः-सत्त्व-तमो-मय = consisting of rajas, sattva, tamas)

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (f. acc. sg.)

• करोति: does, makes
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भगवान्: the Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

• पालयते: protects, maintains
• पालयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (m. nom. sg.)

Speaker

Sārasvata

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (unnamed king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic triad: Brahmā creating (lotus, Vedas), Viṣṇu preserving (conch/discus, protective gesture), Śiva implied as dissolver; behind them a subtle field of the three guṇas as colored currents.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Śiva
• rajas
• sattva
• tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic functions align with the guṇas: creation, preservation, and dissolution operate through divinely ordered qualities.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This is doctrinal context within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya rather than a direct tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it defines theological roles rather than prescribing vrata or dāna.