Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

जंतुपीडाकरा नैव सा हिंसा सुखदायिनी । परोपकारः पुण्याय पापाय परपीडनम्

Transliteration

jaṃtupīḍākarā naiva sā hiṃsā sukhadāyinī | paropakāraḥ puṇyāya pāpāya parapīḍanam

Translation

„Eine Tat, die Lebewesen quält, ist nicht jene ‘Gewalt’, die Wohlergehen schenkt. Anderen Gutes zu tun führt zu Puṇya; andere zu verletzen führt zu Pāpa.“

Word by Word

• जन्तु-पीडा-करा: causing pain to beings
• जन्तु-पीडा-करा: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘जन्तूनां पीडां करोति या’ (that which causes pain to creatures)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Vākya-sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हिंसा: violence
• हिंसा: Samānādhikaraṇa (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुख-दायिनी: giving happiness
• सुख-दायिनी: Karta-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + दायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘सुखं ददाति या’ (that which gives happiness)

• पर-उपकारः: helping others
• पर-उपकारः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + उपकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘परस्य उपकारः’ (help to another)

• पुण्याय: for merit
• पुण्याय: Sampradāna (purpose/recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case/Dative), एकवचन

• पापाय: for sin
• पापाय: Sampradāna (purpose/result)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• पर-पीडनम्: harming others
• पर-पीडनम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — ‘परस्य पीडनम्’ (tormenting another)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Interlocutors in the dharma debate

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm moral tableau: one figure offers help (water/food/protection) to another; in contrast, a shadowed vignette suggests harm leading to darkness—illustrating puṇya vs pāpa.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit arises from compassion and service; sin arises from causing suffering—dharma is measured by its effect on beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the instruction is universal, delivered within Dharmāraṇya’s sacred narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it promotes the dharmic practice of paropakāra (benefiting others).