Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

एकस्मिन्रक्षिते जीवे त्रैलोक्यं रक्षितं भवेत् । घातिते घातितं तद्वत्तस्माद्रक्षेन्न घातयेत्

Transliteration

ekasminrakṣite jīve trailokyaṃ rakṣitaṃ bhavet | ghātite ghātitaṃ tadvattasmādrakṣenna ghātayet

Translation

Wird auch nur ein Leben geschützt, so ist es, als wären die drei Welten geschützt; wird ein Leben getötet, so ist es, als wären die drei Welten getötet. Darum soll man schützen und nicht töten, noch töten lassen.

Word by Word

• एकस्मिन्: in/with one
• एकस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (जीवे)

• रक्षिते: when (it is) protected
• रक्षिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √rakṣ धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘एकस्मिन् ... जीवे’ इत्यत्र विशेषण (locative absolute sense)

• जीवे: in a living being
• जीवे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—द्विगु (त्रयः लोकाः = “three worlds”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा)

• रक्षितम्: protected
• रक्षितम्: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √rakṣ धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि (PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (त्रैलोक्यम्)

• भवेत्: would be/should become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• घातिते: when (it is) killed
• घातिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghātita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √han धातु, णिच् + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि (PPP, causative: “caused to be killed”); पुं/नपुंसक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute)

• घातितम्: killed
• घातितम्: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghātita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √han धातु, णिच् + क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (त्रैलोक्यम्—अनुवृत्त)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (adverb: “likewise/in that manner”)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• रक्षेत्: should protect
• रक्षेत्: Kriya (Injunctive action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (आज्ञार्थे—“one should protect”)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• घातयेत्: should kill/cause to be killed
• घातयेत्: Kriya (Prohibited action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √han (धातु) णिच् (causative)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative: “cause to kill/kill”)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegorical tableau: a single small creature (bird/deer) being protected by a pilgrim, while above them the three worlds (heaven, earth, netherworld) appear as luminous spheres, showing cosmic resonance of compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Trailokya (Three Worlds)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protecting life has vast spiritual weight; killing carries vast harm—therefore choose protection and non-violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa milieu, guiding conduct for those in sacred Kāśī, without naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral command is given: rakṣaṇa (protection) and avoidance of ghāta (killing).