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Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18

यामाहुः प्रकृतिं तज्ज्ञाः पदार्थानां विचक्षणाः । पुरुषत्वे प्रकृतित्वे च कारणं परमेश्वरः

yāmāhuḥ prakṛtiṃ tajjñāḥ padārthānāṃ vicakṣaṇāḥ | puruṣatve prakṛtitve ca kāraṇaṃ parameśvaraḥ

สิ่งที่บัณฑิตผู้รู้ความจริง ผู้แยบคายในตัตตวะทั้งหลาย เรียกว่า ‘ปรกฤติ’ นั้น—แท้จริงแล้ว ปรมेशวรเท่านั้นเป็นเหตุสูงสุด ทั้งในภาวะปุรุษะและในภาวะปรกฤติ

yāmwhom/which
yām:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Feminine, Accusative, Singular
āhuḥthey have said, call
āhuḥ:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootah (धातु)
Formलिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Plural
prakṛtimPrakṛti, nature
prakṛtim:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootprakṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/सम्बोधनार्थ), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular
tajjñāḥknowers of that (experts)
tajjñāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural
padārthānāmof entities/things
padārthānām:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
TypeNoun
Rootpada (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural
vicakṣaṇāḥdiscerning, wise
vicakṣaṇāḥ:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootvi + cakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural
puruṣatvein the state of Puruṣa-hood
puruṣatve:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootpuruṣatva (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular
prakṛtitvein the state of Prakṛti-hood
prakṛtitve:
Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootprakṛtitva (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व प्रत्यय)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular
caand
ca:
Samuccaya (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय — coordinating conjunction
kāraṇamcause
kāraṇam:
Pradhāna (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootkāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular (predicate noun)
parameśvaraḥthe Supreme Lord
parameśvaraḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootparama (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Śiva (deduced from immediate continuation where Mahādeva addresses Devī)

Scene: A sage-like assembly of tattva-jñas points to a diagrammatic cosmos: Prakṛti as a flowing matrix, Puruṣa as luminous consciousness, both arising from a higher radiance labeled Parameśvara above them.

P
Parameśvara
P
Prakṛti
P
Puruṣa

FAQs

All cosmic principles—whether ‘spirit’ (Puruṣa) or ‘nature’ (Prakṛti)—ultimately depend on Parameśvara as their root cause.

The teaching occurs within the Revā Khaṇḍa of the Āvantya Khaṇḍa, associated with the sacred Revā (Narmadā) region and its tīrthas.

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it is a doctrinal statement establishing Śiva’s supremacy as the causal principle.