Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

हंति जातानजातांश्च तस्माद्विप्रं न कोपयेत् । विप्रकोपाग्निना दग्धो नरकान्नैव मुच्यते

Transliteration

haṃti jātānajātāṃśca tasmādvipraṃ na kopayet | viprakopāgninā dagdho narakānnaiva mucyate

Translation

إنه يُهلك المولود وغير المولود؛ لذلك لا ينبغي أن يُغضَبَ البراهمن. ومن احترق بنار سخط البراهمن لا ينجو من الجحيمات ولا يُعتَق منها.

Word by Word

• hanti: kills, strikes down
• hanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• jātān: those who are born
• jātān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta (कृदन्त; √jan, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• ajātān: those not yet born
• ajātān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajāta (कृदन्त; √jan, नञ्-पूर्वक + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablative sense: ‘therefore/from that’)

• vipram: a Brahmin
• vipram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• kopayet: should anger, should provoke
• kopayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kup (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम/मध्यम-पुरुष? (आदेशात्मक-प्रयोगः), एकवचन; सामान्यतः ‘(one) should not anger’ = प्रथम-पुरुष एकवचन/आज्ञार्थे

• viprakopāgninā: by the fire of a Brahmin’s anger
• viprakopāgninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + kopa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (‘विप्रस्य कोपः’ → ‘कोपस्य अग्निः’)

• dagdhaḥ: burnt
• dagdhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dagdha (कृदन्त; √dah, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृत् (past passive participle)

• narakān: hells
• narakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed, at all
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• mucyate: is released, is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (strong dharma-admonition within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary scene: an arrogant man argues with a brāhmaṇa; from the brāhmaṇa’s stern yet controlled gaze rises a flame-like aura that engulfs the offender; behind, shadowy naraka imagery appears as a warning, while the brāhmaṇa remains composed, emphasizing the impersonal force of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires reverence and restraint; harming or provoking the righteous is said to ruin both present life and future well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in the verse; it serves as a universal warning embedded in tīrtha-māhātmya teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practical injunction is behavioral: do not incite a brāhmaṇa’s anger; uphold respectful conduct.