Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

ईश्वरो हि जगत्स्रष्टा प्रभुर्योऽसौ सनातनः । सत्त्वात्मकोऽसौ भगवानिज्यते सर्वकर्मसु

Transliteration

īśvaro hi jagatsraṣṭā prabhuryo'sau sanātanaḥ | sattvātmako'sau bhagavānijyate sarvakarmasu

Translation

കാരണം ഈശ്വരൻ തന്നെയാണ് ജഗത്തിന്റെ സ്രഷ്ടാവ്; അവൻ സനാതന പ്രഭു. സത്ത്വസ്വഭാവനായ ആ ഭഗവാൻ എല്ലാ കർമ്മങ്ങളിലും പൂജിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta/Predicate base
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• जगत्स्रष्टा: creator of the world
• जगत्स्रष्टा: Samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + स्रष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (जगतः स्रष्टा)

• प्रभुः: master, sovereign
• प्रभुः: Samānādhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असौ: that one
• असौ: Karta (Demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक

• सनातनः: eternal
• सनातनः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ईश्वरः/प्रभुः)

• सत्त्वात्मकः: of the nature of sattva
• सत्त्वात्मकः: Samānādhikaraṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सत्त्वं आत्मा/स्वभावो यस्य)

• असौ: that one
• असौ: Karta (Demonstrative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इज्यते: is worshipped
• इज्यते: Kriya (Passive verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वकर्मसु: in all rituals/actions
• सर्वकर्मसु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative: in all rites/actions)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व + कर्मन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि कर्माणि)

Speaker

Dakṣa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: assembly of sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm doctrinal assertion: the speaker counters the ‘ugra’ description by proclaiming Īśvara as creator, eternal lord, and universally worshiped in all rites.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Bhagavān

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritualists often equate divinity with sattvic order and universal acceptability; the narrative challenges this narrow criterion when applied to Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya, the debate serves the place’s teaching function—clarifying right devotion in Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

General statement: the Lord is worshiped “in all karmas” (sarvakarmasu), without naming a specific sacrifice or vrata.