Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

न हेमहारी ब्रह्मघ्नो न चैव गुरुतल्पगः । न स्त्रीघ्नो न च बालघ्नो न चैवानृतभाषणः

Transliteration

na hemahārī brahmaghno na caiva gurutalpagaḥ | na strīghno na ca bālaghno na caivānṛtabhāṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Es gab keinen Goldräuber, keinen Mörder eines Brāhmaṇa und keinen, der das Lager des Lehrers entweihte. Es gab keinen Frauenmörder, keinen Kindermörder und keinen, der Unwahrheit sprach.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• hema-hārī: gold-stealer
• hema-hārī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + hārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (हेमं हरति = gold-stealer)

• brahma-ghnaḥ: Brahmin-slayer
• brahma-ghnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणं हन्ति = slayer of a Brahmin)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only/indeed)

• guru-talpagaḥ: violator of the guru’s bed
• guru-talpagaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + talpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति = one who violates the teacher’s bed)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• strī-ghnaḥ: woman-killer
• strī-ghnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्त्रियं हन्ति = woman-killer)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• bāla-ghnaḥ: child-killer
• bāla-ghnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (बालं हन्ति = child-killer)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• anṛta-bhāṣaṇaḥ: speaker of lies
• anṛta-bhāṣaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (अनृतं भाषते = speaker of falsehood)

Speaker

Narrator (sectional voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of ‘absence of mahāpātaka’: guru honored, brāhmaṇas protected, women and children safe, truthful speech in assemblies; no scenes of violence—only protective gestures and respectful postures.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest dharma is non-violence and truthfulness, with strict avoidance of the gravest sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is a moral portrait of an ideal age rather than a tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists prohibited acts (grave sins) rather than prescribing a rite.