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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 122

यथा सत्त्वं संभवति सत्त्वयुक्तभवं नराः । राजसाश्च तथा ज्ञेयास्ता मसाश्चैव ते द्विजाः

yathā sattvaṃ saṃbhavati sattvayuktabhavaṃ narāḥ | rājasāśca tathā jñeyāstā masāścaiva te dvijāḥ

Sebagaimana sattva muncul, demikianlah makhluk lahir dengan sifat sattva; demikian juga hendaklah difahami adanya yang bersifat rājasa dan yang bersifat tāmasa—demikianlah, wahai dwija.

यथाas/according to how
यथा:
Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formउपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according as)
सत्त्वम्sattva (purity)
सत्त्वम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
संभवतिarises/comes to be
संभवति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + भू (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
सत्त्वयुक्तभवम्of sattva-associated nature
सत्त्वयुक्तभवम्:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootसत्त्व + युक्त + भव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying narān understood): ‘सत्त्वेन युक्तः भवः यस्य’ (having a sattvic nature)
नराःmen/people
नराः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
राजसाःrajasic
राजसाः:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootराजस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of people)
and
:
Connector (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
तथाlikewise
तथा:
Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)
ज्ञेयाःare to be known
ज्ञेयाः:
Predicate (विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootज्ञा (धातु)
Formतव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्: ‘ज्ञेयाः’ = to be known
तामसाःtamasic
तामसाः:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootतामस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्
and
:
Connector (समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
एवindeed/just
एव:
Emphasis (अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण (emphatic particle)
तेthey
ते:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
द्विजाःO twice-born/brāhmaṇas
द्विजाः:
Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (O twice-born)

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Listener: Dvijas

Scene: Three archetypal figures: a serene sāttvika ascetic, an active rājasa householder/warrior, and a lethargic tāmasa figure; behind them, subtle tri-color aura indicating guṇas; sages point in instruction.

S
sattva
R
rajas
T
tamas

FAQs

Embodied dispositions and births are shaped by the three guṇas; spiritual practice aims at rising beyond their conditioning.

The Kedāra setting contextualizes this guṇa-teaching as groundwork for liberation through Śiva.

No ritual is prescribed; it is a doctrinal classification of beings by guṇa predominance.