Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

यंत्रपीडैः समाक्रम्य वरमेष हतो नरः । न तु तं परुषैर्वाक्यैर्जिघांसेत कथंचन

Transliteration

yaṃtrapīḍaiḥ samākramya varameṣa hato naraḥ | na tu taṃ paruṣairvākyairjighāṃseta kathaṃcana

Translation

Besser ist es, dass ein Mann durch zermalmende Folterinstrumente getötet wird, als dass man jemals versuchen sollte, ihn mit harschen Worten zu erschlagen.

Word by Word

• यन्त्रपीडैः: by tortures of instruments
• यन्त्रपीडैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यन्त्रस्य पीडाः)

• समाक्रम्य: having attacked/overpowered
• समाक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having assailed/overpowered)

• वरम्: better (it is)
• वरम्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वरम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्प/श्रेष्ठार्थ (particle: better)

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• हतः: killed
• हतः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate participle/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but)

• तम्: him/that (person)
• तम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परुषैः: with harsh
• परुषैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वाक्यैः: words, statements
• वाक्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जिघांसॆत: should wish to kill/should harm
• जिघांसॆत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) (desiderative: जिघांस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथंचन: in any manner
• कथंचन: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकार/कदाचनार्थ (adverb: in any way/at all)

Speaker

Saṃvarta (contextual; Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative dialogue)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast: instruments of torture (presses, wheels, clamps) shown in the background, while in the foreground a figure restrains his tongue—hand over mouth—choosing silence/soft speech; a faint ‘spirit’ figure behind the victim is protected from being shattered by words.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Verbal cruelty is a profound form of harm; dharma demands speech that does not wound.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is discussed; it is a universal ethical teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is moral restraint rather than ritual performance.