Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

तान्भूमौ पतितान्सर्वान्नष्टसंज्ञा न्निरायुधान् । विगणय्य शवप्रायाननावधीद्धर्मशास्त्रवित्

Transliteration

tānbhūmau patitānsarvānnaṣṭasaṃjñā nnirāyudhān | vigaṇayya śavaprāyānanāvadhīddharmaśāstravit

Translation

Les voyant tous gisant à terre—sans connaissance et sans armes—lui, connaisseur du dharma-śāstra, les tint pour presque des cadavres et ne les frappa point.

Word by Word

• tān: them
• tān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• bhūmau: on the ground
• bhūmau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (भूमि-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• patitān: fallen
• patitān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patita (पतित-प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• naṣṭa-saṃjñān: senseless
• naṣṭa-saṃjñān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naṣṭa (नष्ट; कृदन्त) + saṃjñā (संज्ञा-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (those whose consciousness is lost)

• nir-āyudhān: unarmed
• nir-āyudhān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir (निर्-उपसर्ग) + āyudha (आयुध-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; नञ्/उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (without weapons)

• vigaṇayya: having disregarded
• vigaṇayya: Kriya (Gerundial action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi+gaṇ (गण् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having disregarded/considered as nothing’

• śava-prāyān: as good as dead
• śava-prāyān: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śava (शव-प्रातिपदिक) + prāya (प्राय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (almost like corpses)

• anāvadhīt: did not kill
• anāvadhīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu+vadh (वध् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; नकार-आगम (a- augment)

• dharma-śāstra-vit: the knower of dharma-śāstra
• dharma-śāstra-vit: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (धर्म-प्रातिपदिक) + śāstra (शास्त्र-प्रातिपदिक) + vid (विद्/वित्-प्रातिपदिक ‘knower’)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (knower of dharma-śāstra)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The hero stands poised with weapon but lowers it, looking upon unconscious, weaponless enemies strewn on the ground; his face shows stern compassion and adherence to dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in war, dharma restrains violence: one should not attack the helpless, disarmed, or unconscious.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it conveys ethical conduct aligned with dharma-śāstra.