Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

धर्ममूलमहिंसा च मनसा तां च चितयन् । कर्मणा च तथा वाचा तत एतां समाचरेत्

Transliteration

dharmamūlamahiṃsā ca manasā tāṃ ca citayan | karmaṇā ca tathā vācā tata etāṃ samācaret

Translation

Ahimsa, das Nichtverletzen, ist die Wurzel des Dharma. Darum soll man es im Geist erwägen und es ebenso durch Tat und Wort üben.

Word by Word

• धर्ममूलम्: rooted in dharma / the root of dharma
• धर्ममूलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + मूल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (धर्मस्य मूलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अहिंसा इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

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

• मनसा: with the mind
• मनसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ताम्: that (non-violence)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अहिंसाम् इति निर्देशः

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

• चिन्तयन्: thinking/pondering
• चिन्तयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु) → चिन्तयत् (कृदन्त, शतृ/Present active participle)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकर्तरि कृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (अध्याहृतः कर्ता: साधकः)

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/likewise')

• वाचा: by speech
• वाचा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Hetu/Anantarya (Therefore/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय (indeclinable: 'therefore/from that')

• एताम्: this (non-violence)
• एताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अहिंसाम् इति निर्देशः

• समाचरेत्: should practice/observe
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+आ+चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim offering water to thirsty beings, protecting a small animal on the path; three luminous streams labeled mind, speech, body converge into a single river of ahiṃsā.

Characters & Entities

• Ahiṃsā
• Dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma begins with ahiṃsā, which must be upheld in thought, speech, and action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named site appears in this verse; it provides ethical guidance within the broader tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ahiṃsā observance as a practical vow across the three channels: mind, speech, and body.