Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

धर्मो जीवदया तुल्यो न क्वापि जगतीतले । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन कार्या जीवदया नृभिः

Transliteration

dharmo jīvadayā tulyo na kvāpi jagatītale | tasmātsarvaprayatnena kāryā jīvadayā nṛbhiḥ

Translation

On the face of the earth there is no dharma equal to compassion toward living beings. Therefore, with every effort, humans should practice kindness to life.

Word by Word

• धर्मः: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवदया: with compassion for living beings
• जीवदया: Karana (Standard of comparison/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + dayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (जीवेषु दया = “compassion toward living beings”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (तुल्यः इत्यनेन सह तुलनायाम्)

• तुल्यः: equal
• तुल्यः: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मः इत्यस्य)

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

• क्वापि: anywhere
• क्वापि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अनिश्चित (indefinite adverb: “anywhere”)

• जगतीतले: on the earth/world
• जगतीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (जगत्याः तलम् = “surface of the earth/world”); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/from that reason)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वः प्रयत्नः = “all effort/utmost effort”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कार्या: should be done/practiced
• कार्या: Karya (Obligation/कर्तव्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ धातु, यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त; कर्तव्यतावाचक (gerundive: “to be done/should be practiced”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (जीवदया इत्यस्य)

• जीवदया: compassion to living beings
• जीवदया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + dayā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नृभिः: by men/people
• नृभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate householder in Kāśī offers food and water to animals and the poor near a ghāṭ, while a sage blesses, indicating dayā as the highest dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion to living beings is presented as the supreme dharma and should be pursued wholeheartedly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s teachings, supporting the pilgrim ethic of Kāśī, though it does not name a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual act; it prescribes a sustained ethical observance: jīva-dayā (kindness to all life).