Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16
गुणत्रयं त्वमेवेह गुणहीनस्त्वमेव हि । गुणानामालयस्त्वं च गोप्ता सर्वेषु जंतुषु
guṇatrayaṃ tvameveha guṇahīnastvameva hi | guṇānāmālayastvaṃ ca goptā sarveṣu jaṃtuṣu
ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ณ ที่นี้พระองค์เองคือไตรคุณ—สัตตวะ รชัส ตมัส—และแท้จริงพระองค์เองก็ทรงอยู่เหนือคุณทั้งปวง (นิรคุณ) พระองค์เป็นที่สถิตแห่งคุณทั้งหลาย และทรงเป็นผู้พิทักษ์สถิตอยู่ในสรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวง
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.