Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

सर्वेतनुभृतस्तुल्या यदि बुद्ध्या विचार्यते । इदं निश्चित्य केनापि नो हिंस्यः कोपि कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

sarvetanubhṛtastulyā yadi buddhyā vicāryate | idaṃ niścitya kenāpi no hiṃsyaḥ kopi kutracit

Translation

Si l’on réfléchit avec discernement, tous les êtres incarnés sont égaux. Ayant établi cela avec certitude, que nul ne blesse jamais aucun être, en aucun lieu.

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• तनुभृतः: embodied beings
• तनुभृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक) + bhṛt (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhṛ धातु)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (तनुं बिभ्रति = “body-bearers/embodied beings”); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तुल्याः: equal
• तुल्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tulya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (सर्वे तनुभृतः इत्यस्य)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-सम्बन्धबोधक (conditional conjunction: “if”)

• बुद्ध्या: by intellect
• बुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• विचार्यते: is considered/reflected upon
• विचार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु) उपसर्गः vi-; विचार्यते (passive)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• निश्चित्य: having ascertained
• निश्चित्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ni-√ci (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त अव्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-अव्यय; ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund): “having ascertained”

• केनापि: by anyone
• केनापि: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kena (सर्वनाम) + api (अव्यय)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; ‘अपि’ निपात-युक्त (indefinite: “by anyone”)

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

• हिंस्यः: should be harmed
• हिंस्यः: Karya (Obligation/कर्तव्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiṃsya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √hiṃs धातु, यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त; विधिलिङ्गार्थे भाव्य/कर्तव्यतावाचक (gerundive: “to be harmed”); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (कोऽपि इत्यस्य)

• कः: anyone (who)
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ka (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/any
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थक-निपात (indefinite/emphatic particle)

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere
• कुत्रचित्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutra (अव्यय) + cit (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अनिश्चित (indefinite locative adverb: “anywhere”)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs pilgrims at a Kāśī ghāṭ: humans, animals, and birds share the same space; the teacher’s gesture indicates equality and the injunction ‘do not harm’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discerning the equality of life leads to a universal rule: do not harm any being anywhere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s sacred setting, but it is not tied to a single tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral injunction (ahiṃsā) is given; no specific snāna/dāna/japa is stated.