Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । अहिंसा परमो धर्मो अहिंसा च परं तपः । अहिंसा परमं ज्ञानमहिंसा परमं फलम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | ahiṃsā paramo dharmo ahiṃsā ca paraṃ tapaḥ | ahiṃsā paramaṃ jñānamahiṃsā paramaṃ phalam

Translation

Der König sprach: „Gewaltlosigkeit (ahiṃsā) ist die höchste Dharma; Gewaltlosigkeit ist die höchste Askese. Gewaltlosigkeit ist das höchste Wissen; Gewaltlosigkeit ist die höchste Frucht.“

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Pratijna/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Pratijna/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Pratijna/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Pratijna/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

The king (Kumārapāla in context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king speaks with composed authority, palm raised in teaching gesture, while brāhmaṇas listen; the forest appears serene, suggesting the quiet power of non-violence as supreme dharma.

Characters & Entities

• ahiṃsā
• dharma
• tapas
• jñāna
• phala

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā is presented as the summit of dharma, ascetic practice, wisdom, and spiritual attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Dharmāraṇya; the ‘greatness’ emphasized is the greatness of ahiṃsā as dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ethical and universal: practice ahiṃsā as the foremost religious discipline.