Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

एका मूर्तिर्महेशस्य कारणान्तरमागता । त्रैगुण्या कुरुते कर्म ब्रह्मचक्रीशरूपतः

Transliteration

ekā mūrtirmaheśasya kāraṇāntaramāgatā | traiguṇyā kurute karma brahmacakrīśarūpataḥ

Translation

महेशाची एकच मूर्ती अन्य कारणभावाने प्रकट होऊन, त्रिगुणांच्या द्वारा कर्म करते—कधी ब्रह्मारूपाने, कधी चक्रधारी विष्णुरूपाने, आणि कधी ईश (शिव)रूपाने।

Word by Word

• ekā: one
• ekā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mūrtiḥ)

• mūrtiḥ: form; manifestation
• mūrtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• maheśasya: of Maheśa (Śiva)
• maheśasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maheśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kāraṇa-antaram: another cause; another reason
• kāraṇa-antaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘अन्यत् कारणम्’ (another cause/occasion)

• āgatā: having come; arisen
• āgatā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-gam (धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• traiguṇyā: the triad of guṇas
• traiguṇyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + guṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः ‘त्रयः गुणाः’ (the threefold qualities)

• kurute: does; performs
• kurute: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• karma: action; deed
• karma: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• brahma-cakrīśa-rūpataḥ: in the form of Brahmā and Cakrīśa (Viṣṇu)
• brahma-cakrīśa-rūpataḥ: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + cakrīśa (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + -tas (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb: ‘in the form of/as’); समासः बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (brahmaṇo rūpaḥ / cakrīśasya rūpaḥ इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (doctrinal glorification within Revā Khaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A single luminous Maheśa-form stands at center, from whom three emanations appear: Brahmā (four-faced), Viṣṇu (with cakra), and Īśa/Śiva (with trident), all connected by rays, set against a cosmic mandala of the three guṇas.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśa (Śiva)
• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu (Cakrī)
• Īśa
• Triguṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The one Supreme manifests in multiple divine roles; sectarian division misses the underlying unity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a particular site; it provides theological grounding within the Revā-khaṇḍa’s sacred narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is doctrinal (tattva) instruction.