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

ബ്രഹ്മാ, വിഷ്ണു, ശിവൻ എന്നീ ദേവന്മാർ രജസ്-സത്ത്വ-തമസ് ഗുണമയരാണ്. ഭഗവാൻ ബ്രഹ്മാ സൃഷ്ടി ചെയ്യുന്നു; ഹരി (വിഷ്ണു) പാലിക്കുന്നു.

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.