Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

अहिंसा परमो धर्म इहोक्तः पूर्वसूरिभिः । तस्मान्न हिंसा कर्तव्या नरैर्नरकभीरुभिः

Transliteration

ahiṃsā paramo dharma ihoktaḥ pūrvasūribhiḥ | tasmānna hiṃsā kartavyā narairnarakabhīrubhiḥ

Translation

La no violencia (ahiṃsā) es el dharma supremo—así lo proclamaron aquí los sabios antiguos. Por ello, quienes temen el naraka no deben cometer jamás violencia.

Word by Word

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मः)

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

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक (adverb: “here/in this context”)

• उक्तः: declared/said
• उक्तः: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (धर्मः)

• पूर्वसूरिभिः: by the ancient sages
• पूर्वसूरिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + sūri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (पूर्वाः सूरयः = “former sages”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

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

• हिंसा: violence
• हिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कर्तव्या: should be done (i.e., committed)
• कर्तव्या: Karya (Obligation/कर्तव्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartavya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ धातु, तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त; कर्तव्यतावाचक (gerundive: “to be done/should be done”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (हिंसा)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नरकभीरुभिः: by those fearing hell
• नरकभीरुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (नरकात् भीरवः = “afraid of hell”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (नरैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet compassionate sage proclaims ‘ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ’ to a gathered crowd of pilgrims; in the background, a faint contrasting vision shows the consequences of violence (naraka) as a deterrent motif.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrvasūri (ancient sages)
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā is proclaimed the supreme dharma; one should avoid harming others, mindful of moral consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī context), not a description of a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prohibition is stated: do not perform hiṃsā (violence).