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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

यजंते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः । प्रेतान्भूतपिशाचांश्च यजंते तामसा जनाः

yajaṃte sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ | pretānbhūtapiśācāṃśca yajaṃte tāmasā janāḥ

ผู้มีสภาวะสัตตวิกบูชาเหล่าเทวะ; ผู้มีสภาวะราชสิกบูชายักษ์และรากษส; ส่วนผู้มีสภาวะตามสิกบูชาพรেত ภูต และปิศาจ

यजन्तेworship
यजन्ते:
Kriyā (Predicate verb)
TypeVerb
Rootयज् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्
सात्त्विकाःsattvic people
सात्त्विकाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootसात्त्विक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; गुणवाचक-शब्दः (used substantively)
देवान्gods
देवान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
यक्षरक्षांसिyakṣas and rākṣasas
यक्षरक्षांसि:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootयक्ष + रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (yakṣa-and-rākṣasa)
राजसाःrajasic people
राजसाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootराजस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; गुणवाचक-शब्दः (used substantively)
प्रेतान्spirits (pretas)
प्रेतान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन
भूतपिशाचान्bhūtas and piśācas
भूतपिशाचान्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootभूत + पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः
and
:
Samuccaya (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
यजन्तेworship
यजन्ते:
Kriyā (Predicate verb)
TypeVerb
Rootयज् (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदम्
तामसाःtamasic people
तामसाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतामस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; गुणवाचक-शब्दः (used substantively)
जनाःpeople
जनाः:
Karta (Apposition to subject)
TypeNoun
Rootजन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

Scene: Tripartite tableau: left—devas receiving pure offerings; center—yakṣa/rākṣasa figures with opulent, power-seeking worship; right—shadowy cremation-ground spirits with fear-driven rites; a narrator points to each as a moral lesson.

D
Devas
Y
Yakṣas
R
Rākṣasas
P
Pretas
B
Bhūtas
P
Piśācas

FAQs

The object of worship reflects one’s inner guṇa; refine conduct and intention to move toward sāttvika worship.

No specific site is praised; the verse is a general teaching on guṇa-based worship.

Choose worship aligned with purity (sattva)—worship of devas rather than spirit-entities associated with tamas.