Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73
सुखिनो दुःखिनश्चैव प्राणिनः शास्त्रदर्शिनः । अष्टाविंशतिलक्षैश्च गुणमेकैकमीश्वरः
sukhino duḥkhinaścaiva prāṇinaḥ śāstradarśinaḥ | aṣṭāviṃśatilakṣaiśca guṇamekaikamīśvaraḥ
Makhluk-makhluk terlihat sebagai yang berbahagia dan yang menderita, serta sebagai mereka yang menyingkap ajaran śāstra. Dan Tuhan (Īśvara) telah mengagihkan setiap guṇa satu demi satu dalam ukuran yang dihitung hingga dua puluh lapan lakh, sebagai pembahagian yang amat luas di antara segala makhluk.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)
Scene: A cosmic tableau: Īśvara overseeing a vast field of beings, each marked with subtle color-coding of guṇas; some hold scriptures (śāstra-darśin), others are caught in pleasure/pain cycles.
FAQs
Diversity of experience—happiness, suffering, and spiritual insight—arises within a vast cosmic distribution governed by Īśvara and shaped by guṇas.
No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it discusses cosmic classification of beings.
No ritual instruction appears; the focus is on understanding creation through śāstra and guṇa theory.