Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

प्रकृतिः पुरुषश्चैव अनादी श्रृणुमः पुरा । साधर्म्येणावतिष्ठेते सृष्टेः प्रागजरामरौ

Transliteration

prakṛtiḥ puruṣaścaiva anādī śrṛṇumaḥ purā | sādharmyeṇāvatiṣṭhete sṛṣṭeḥ prāgajarāmarau

Translation

普拉克里蒂与普鲁沙确实无始——自古以来我们如是听闻。于造化未起之前，二者同住于一体相应之境，皆不老不死。

Word by Word

• प्रकृतिः: Prakṛti (Nature)
• प्रकृतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पुरुषः: Puruṣa (Person/Spirit)
• पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed)

• अनादी: beginningless (both)
• अनादी: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); विशेषण (of प्रकृतिः, पुरुषः as a dual pair)

• शृणुमः: we hear/learn
• शृणुमः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural); परस्मैपद

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालार्थक-अव्यय (formerly, of old)

• साधर्म्येण: by similarity (of nature)
• साधर्म्येण: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधर्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• अवतिष्ठेते: they both remain/stand
• अवतिष्ठेते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), द्विवचन (Dual); आत्मनेपद; उपसर्ग: अव

• सृष्टेः: of creation
• सृष्टेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राक्: before
• प्राक्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: पूर्वकालार्थक-अव्यय (before)

• अजरामरौ: unaging and deathless (both)
• अजरामरौ: Karta (Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजर (प्रातिपदिक) + अमर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन (Dual); द्वन्द्व (अजरश्च अमरश्च) विशेषण (of प्रकृतिः-पुरुषौ)

Speaker

Bāla

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The inquirer

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two principles depicted: Prakṛti as a veiled, tri-colored (guṇas) cosmic matrix; Puruṣa as a clear, luminous witness. Before creation they stand in poised balance, no motion, no differentiation.

Characters & Entities

• Prakṛti
• Puruṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Creation is explained through eternal principles—prakṛti and puruṣa—rather than a purely temporal beginning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is doctrinal cosmology, not a site-māhātmya passage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it provides metaphysical categories used to interpret bondage and liberation.