Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

गुणकार्यप्रसंगेन आवां प्रादुर्भवः कृतः । त्वं हि वै प्रकृतिः सूक्ष्मा रजःसत्त्वतमोमयी

Transliteration

guṇakāryaprasaṃgena āvāṃ prādurbhavaḥ kṛtaḥ | tvaṃ hi vai prakṛtiḥ sūkṣmā rajaḥsattvatamomayī

Translation

ഗുണങ്ങളുടെയും അവയുടെ പ്രവർത്തനപ്രസംഗത്തിന്റെയും ഫലമായി ഞങ്ങളുടെ പ്രാദുർഭാവം സംഭവിച്ചു. കാരണം നീയേ സൂക്ഷ്മ പ്രകൃതി—രജസ്, സത്ത്വം, തമസ് എന്നിവകൊണ്ടു മയമായവൾ.

Word by Word

• गुण-कार्य-प्रसङ्गेन: by the occasion of guṇa-activity
• गुण-कार्य-प्रसङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘गुणकार्यस्य प्रसङ्गेन’ (by occasion of the function/effect of guṇas)

• आवाम्: we two
• आवाम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• प्रादुर्भवः: manifestation/appearance
• प्रादुर्भवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रादुर्भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• कृतः: made/caused
• कृतः: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; कृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (agreeing with ‘प्रादुर्भवः’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतौ अव्यय (particle)

• वै: certainly
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti (nature)
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Predicate nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सूक्ष्मा: subtle
• सूक्ष्मा: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘प्रकृतिः’)

• रजः-सत्त्व-तमः-मयी: composed of rajas, sattva, and tamas
• रजः-सत्त्व-तमः-मयी: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मयी (प्रातिपदिक/तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/तद्धितार्थ: ‘रजःसत्त्वतमोभिः मयी’ (consisting of rajas, sattva, tamas)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical depiction of subtle Prakṛti as Devī with three colored streams (white/red/black) flowing into the manifested world; figures representing guṇa-effects arise from the streams.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Rajas
• Sattva
• Tamas
• Devī (as Prakṛti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The world-process unfolds from Prakṛti through the three guṇas; spiritual progress involves understanding and transcending their play.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-khaṇḍa context (Kedārakṣetra) surrounds the teaching, but this verse is primarily doctrinal.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it defines Prakṛti and the guṇas.