Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सत्त्वेन रक्षणे शंभुस्त्वां प्रेषयति केशव । तमसा कालरुद्राख्यं संप्रेरयति संहृतौ

Transliteration

sattvena rakṣaṇe śaṃbhustvāṃ preṣayati keśava | tamasā kālarudrākhyaṃ saṃprerayati saṃhṛtau

Translation

เพื่อการคุ้มครอง โอ้เกศวะ ศัมภูทรงส่งท่านด้วยพลังแห่งคุณะสัตตวะ; และในกาลแห่งการสลาย พระองค์ทรงเร้าเร่งผู้มีนามว่า กาลรุทระ ด้วยพลังแห่งคุณะตมัส

Word by Word

• सत्त्वेन: by sattva
• सत्त्वेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• रक्षणे: in/for protection
• रक्षणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• शंभुः: Śambhu (Śiva)
• शंभुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रेषयति: sends/dispatches
• प्रेषयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + इष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• केशव: O Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• केशव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• तमसा: by tamas
• तमसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कालरुद्राख्यम्: named Kālarudra
• कालरुद्राख्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कालरुद्र + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (कालरुद्र इति आख्यं यस्य/कालरुद्र-आख्यः)

• संप्रेरयति: impels/urges
• संप्रेरयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्रेर्/प्रेरय् (धातु; प्रेरयति-प्रयोगः)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• संहृतौ: at dissolution
• संहृतौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संहृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

Speaker

Praṇava (Oṃ) personified (addressing Brahmā and Viṣṇu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śambhu enthroned as cosmic lord; to one side Viṣṇu radiates sattvic golden light as protector; to the other Kālarudra emerges in smoky tamasic hues for dissolution; the guṇa colors (white/gold, red, dark) form a triadic aura.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Keśava (Viṣṇu)
• Kālarudra
• Sattva-guṇa
• Tamas-guṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Preservation and dissolution are not independent powers; they proceed by the Lord’s command through sattva and tamas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setukhaṇḍa setting); the verse itself focuses on metaphysics rather than a local tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is on guṇa-based empowerment of cosmic roles.