Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

एकस्मिन्रक्षिते जीवे त्रैलोक्यं रक्षितं भवेत् । घातिते घातितं तद्वत्तस्माद्रक्षेन्न घातयेत्

Transliteration

ekasminrakṣite jīve trailokyaṃ rakṣitaṃ bhavet | ghātite ghātitaṃ tadvattasmādrakṣenna ghātayet

Translation

إذا حُفِظت حياةٌ واحدة كان كأن العوالم الثلاثة قد حُفِظت؛ وإذا قُتلت حياةٌ واحدة كان كأن العوالم الثلاثة قد قُتلت. لذلك فليحمِ المرء ولا يقتل ولا يتسبب في القتل.

Word by Word

• एकस्मिन्: in/with one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (जीवे)

• रक्षिते: when (it is) protected
• रक्षिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √rakṣ धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एकस्मिन् ... जीवे’ इत्यत्र विशेषण (locative absolute sense)

• जीवे: in a living being
• जीवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—द्विगु (त्रयः लोकाः = “three worlds”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा)

• रक्षितम्: protected
• रक्षितम्: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √rakṣ धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (त्रैलोक्यम्)

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• घातिते: when (it is) killed
• घातिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghātita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √han धातु, णिच् + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि (PPP, causative: “caused to be killed”); पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• घातितम्: killed
• घातितम्: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghātita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √han धातु, णिच् + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (त्रैलोक्यम्—अनुवृत्त)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (adverb: “likewise/in that manner”)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• रक्षेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (आज्ञार्थे—“one should protect”)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• घातयेत्: should kill/cause to be killed
• घातयेत्: Kriya (Prohibited action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative: “cause to kill/kill”)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical tableau: a single small creature (bird/deer) being protected by a pilgrim, while above them the three worlds (heaven, earth, netherworld) appear as luminous spheres, showing cosmic resonance of compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Trailokya (Three Worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting life has vast spiritual weight; killing carries vast harm—therefore choose protection and non-violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa milieu, guiding conduct for those in sacred Kāśī, without naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral command is given: rakṣaṇa (protection) and avoidance of ghāta (killing).