Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

ततस्तमोमयी सा च लीलया देववीक्षिता । राजसी समभूद्दूष्टा सात्त्विकी समजायत

Transliteration

tatastamomayī sā ca līlayā devavīkṣitā | rājasī samabhūddūṣṭā sāttvikī samajāyata

Translation

नंतर तमोमयी ती देवाच्या लीलामय दृष्टिपाताने पाहिली गेली; ती दूष्ट व चंचल अशी राजसी झाली आणि सात्त्विकीही प्रकट झाली।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तमोमयी: consisting of tamas (darkness)
• तमोमयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘तमोमयी’ = तमसा मयी/तमोमयी (made of darkness); तद्धितान्त विशेषण

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक निपात)

• लीलया: playfully/as a sport
• लीलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• देववीक्षिता: seen by the god
• देववीक्षिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + वीक्षित (कृदन्त from √ईक्ष्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘देवेन वीक्षिता’ (seen/observed by the god); क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त

• राजसी: rajasic
• राजसी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजस् (प्रातिपदिक) + ई (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — गुणविशेषण (of rajas)

• समभूत्: became
• समभूत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग) + √भू (धातु) भवने
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• दूष्टा: corrupted/tainted
• दूष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √दुष् (धातु) वैकृत्ये/दोषे
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘corrupted/tainted’

• सात्त्विकी: sattvic
• सात्त्विकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + इक (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — गुणविशेषण (of sattva)

• समजायत: was born/arose
• समजायत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग) + √जन् (धातु) जनने
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Bāla

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Prakṛti as a dark, tamasic ocean; the Deity’s playful glance falls like a beam, and three currents—black (tamas), red (rajas), white-gold (sattva)—rise and spiral outward.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Deva (the Deity)
• Tamas
• Rajas
• Sattva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The three guṇas arise as prakṛti is activated by divine presence, explaining diversity and bondage in experience.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is about the metaphysics of guṇas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it gives doctrinal background often used to justify sāttvika living and spiritual purification.