Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16
गुणत्रयं त्वमेवेह गुणहीनस्त्वमेव हि । गुणानामालयस्त्वं च गोप्ता सर्वेषु जंतुषु
guṇatrayaṃ tvameveha guṇahīnastvameva hi | guṇānāmālayastvaṃ ca goptā sarveṣu jaṃtuṣu
Wahai Tuhan, di sini Engkaulah tiga guṇa—sattva, rajas dan tamas—namun sesungguhnya Engkaulah juga yang melampaui segala guṇa (nirguṇa). Engkaulah tempat bernaungnya guṇa-guṇa, dan Engkaulah Pelindung yang bersemayam dalam semua makhluk.
Narratorial praise within Dharmāraṇya-Māhātmya (speaker not explicit in the given snippet; treated as a devotional stuti-voice)
Listener: Śaunaka and the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame, typical) / within episode: addressed to a King (nṛpa) in nearby verses
Scene: A cosmic Hari as the subtle ground of the three guṇas: sattva as luminous white-gold aura, rajas as red kinetic swirl, tamas as deep blue-black veil—yet the deity stands untouched, with a faint radiance emanating into all beings around (humans, animals, birds) indicating antaryāmin protection.
FAQs
The Supreme is both immanent (as the guṇas shaping the world) and transcendent (beyond all qualities), and thus worthy of refuge as the inner protector of all beings.
The verse occurs in the Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa context, supporting the greatness (māhātmya) of the Dharmāraṇya sacred forest/region described in this section of the Skanda Purāṇa.
No direct ritual instruction (such as snāna, dāna, or japa) appears in this verse; it functions as a theological praise (stuti) describing the Lord’s nature.