Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

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

Translation

சத்த்வம் எவ்வாறு தோன்றுகிறதோ அதன்படி உயிர்கள் சத்த்வயுக்தராகப் பிறக்கின்றனர்; அதுபோலவே அவர்கள் ராஜஸம் அல்லது தாமஸம் எனவும் அறியப்படுவர்—ஓ த்விஜர்களே।

Word by Word

• यथा: as/according to how
• यथा: Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/according as)

• सत्त्वम्: sattva (purity)
• सत्त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• संभवति: arises/comes to be
• संभवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सत्त्वयुक्तभवम्: of sattva-associated nature
• सत्त्वयुक्तभवम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व + युक्त + भव (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying narān understood): ‘सत्त्वेन युक्तः भवः यस्य’ (having a sattvic nature)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• राजसाः: rajasic
• राजसाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: राजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of people)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Adverbial (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/likewise)

• ज्ञेयाः: are to be known
• ज्ञेयाः: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्: ‘ज्ञेयाः’ = to be known

• तामसाः: tamasic
• तामसाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• द्विजाः: O twice-born/brāhmaṇas
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे अपि (O twice-born)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijas

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• sattva
• rajas
• tamas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

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

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

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

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

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