Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मविष्णुहरा देवा रजःसत्त्वतमोमयाः । सृष्टिं ब्रह्मा करोत्येवं तां च पालयते हरिः

Transliteration

brahmaviṣṇuharā devā rajaḥsattvatamomayāḥ | sṛṣṭiṃ brahmā karotyevaṃ tāṃ ca pālayate hariḥ

Translation

ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, ഹരൻ എന്നീ ദേവന്മാർ രജസ്-സത്ത്വ-തമസ് ഗുണമയരാണ്. ഇങ്ങനെ ബ്രഹ്മാ സൃഷ്ടി ചെയ്യുന്നു; ഹരി അതിനെ പാലിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मविष्णुहराः: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Hara (Śiva)
• ब्रह्मविष्णुहराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + विष्णु + हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वसमासः (समाहार/इतरेतर-प्रयोगः)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (1st/Nominative), बहुवचनम्

• रजःसत्त्वतमोमयाः: consisting of rajas, sattva and tamas
• रजःसत्त्वतमोमयाः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् + सत्त्व + तमस् + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; (रजः-सत्त्व-तमः)मय = तद्गुणमयः (those consisting of rajas, sattva, tamas)

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (2nd/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• करोति: creates/does
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of manner)

• ताम्: that (creation)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• पालयते: protects/maintains
• पालयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• हरिः: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice within Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (Prabhāsa sphere)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vāmana

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three deities stand as cosmic administrators: Brahmā with creative symbols, Viṣṇu with protective posture, Hara with dissolving fire/serenity—each tinted subtly by rajas/sattva/tamas hues.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Hari)
• Hara (Śiva)
• Rajas
• Sattva
• Tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cosmic order operates through guṇas and divine functions; understanding this supports balanced devotion and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya in Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, situating theology within the praise of the sacred kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given; it is doctrinal context for the māhātmya narrative.