Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

वीरं हि पुरुषं हत्वा गोसहस्रेण मुच्यते । यथाकथंचित्पुरुषो न हंतव्यस्ततो बुधैः

Transliteration

vīraṃ hi puruṣaṃ hatvā gosahasreṇa mucyate | yathākathaṃcitpuruṣo na haṃtavyastato budhaiḥ

Translation

Celui qui tue un homme vaillant est délivré (du péché) par l’expiation de mille vaches. C’est pourquoi les sages ne doivent tuer un homme d’aucune manière.

Word by Word

• वीरम्: a hero, brave man
• वीरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ/बलार्थ-प्रयोग

• पुरुषम्: a man, person
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having killed’

• गो-सहस्रेण: by (the gift/penance of) a thousand cows
• गो-सहस्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गवां सहस्रम्)

• मुच्यते: is released, is absolved
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• यथा-कथंचित्-पुरुषः: a man (even) somehow/anyhow
• यथा-कथंचित्-पुरुषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + कथंचित् (अव्यय) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः (यथा कथंचित् = somehow)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• हन्तव्यः: to be killed, should be killed
• हन्तव्यः: Kriya (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• ततः: therefore, from that
• ततः: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/हेतु-अर्थे (from that/therefore)

• बुधैः: by the wise (people)
• बुधैः: Kartr-karana (Agent/instrument in passive/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya) quoting traditional dharma-verse

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn dharma-council atmosphere: a speaker warns against killing; in the background, a symbolic herd of cows signifies expiation, while a restrained warrior lowers his weapon.

Characters & Entities

• Gauḥ (cows) (as expiatory measure)
• Buddhāḥ (the wise)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is to be protected; even when expiation exists, the wise avoid killing as a dharmic ideal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is a general dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gosahasra—an expiatory act involving a thousand cows (typically understood as donation/atonement in dharma literature).