Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अहिंसैषा समाख्याता वेदसंविहिता च या । दृष्टं श्रुतं चानुमितं स्वानुभूतं यथार्थतः

Transliteration

ahiṃsaiṣā samākhyātā vedasaṃvihitā ca yā | dṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ cānumitaṃ svānubhūtaṃ yathārthataḥ

Translation

هذا يُسمّى أَهِمْسَا، وهو أيضًا مأمورٌ به في الفيدا—أن يُقال على وفق الحقيقة ما شوهد، وما سُمِع، وما استُدلّ عليه، وما اختُبر ذاتيًا على وجه الصواب.

Word by Word

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एषा: this
• एषा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अहिंसां विशेषयति (this)

• समाख्याता: is termed/defined
• समाख्याता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मणि (is called/defined)

• वेदसंविहिता: enjoined by the Veda
• वेदसंविहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + संविहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अहिंसां विशेषयति; वेदेन संविहिता (enjoined by the Veda)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (which)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; (seen)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; (heard)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अनुमितम्: inferred
• अनुमितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + मा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; (inferred)

• स्वानुभूतम्: personally experienced
• स्वानुभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अनुभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; स्वेन अनुभूतम् (personally experienced)

• यथार्थतः: truly/as it is
• यथार्थतः: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (in accordance with reality)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage holds palm-leaf manuscripts (śruti) while pointing to four icons representing pramāṇas: an eye (dṛṣṭa), an ear (śruta), a smoke-to-fire diagram (anumāna), and a meditating figure with inner light (svānubhūti); a gentle aura signifies ahiṃsā as the governing ethic.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Ahiṃsā
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā is Veda-sanctioned and includes truthfulness aligned with reality—one should relate experience without distortion or harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse establishes a universal dharmic principle rather than a place-specific māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes an ethical discipline: uphold non-violence and truthful alignment with what is seen, heard, inferred, and realized.