Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

हंति जातानजातांश्च तस्माद्विप्रं न कोपयेत् । विप्रकोपाग्निना दग्धो नरकान्नैव मुच्यते

Transliteration

haṃti jātānajātāṃśca tasmādvipraṃ na kopayet | viprakopāgninā dagdho narakānnaiva mucyate

Translation

Cela détruit les êtres nés comme ceux qui ne le sont pas encore; aussi ne faut-il pas provoquer la colère d’un brāhmane. Brûlé par le feu de la colère d’un brāhmane, on n’est point délivré des enfers.

Word by Word

• hanti: kills, strikes down
• hanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• jātān: those who are born
• jātān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāta (कृदन्त; √jan, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; भूतकृत्-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• ajātān: those not yet born
• ajātān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ajāta (कृदन्त; √jan, नञ्-पूर्वक + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोग; पञ्चमी-अर्थे (ablative sense: ‘therefore/from that’)

• vipram: a Brahmin
• vipram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• kopayet: should anger, should provoke
• kopayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kup (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम/मध्यम-पुरुष? (आदेशात्मक-प्रयोगः), एकवचन; सामान्यतः ‘(one) should not anger’ = प्रथम-पुरुष एकवचन/आज्ञार्थे

• viprakopāgninā: by the fire of a Brahmin’s anger
• viprakopāgninā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक) + kopa (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (‘विप्रस्य कोपः’ → ‘कोपस्य अग्निः’)

• dagdhaḥ: burnt
• dagdhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dagdha (कृदन्त; √dah, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृत् (past passive participle)

• narakān: hells
• narakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• eva: indeed, at all
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• mucyate: is released, is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (strong dharma-admonition within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary scene: an arrogant man argues with a brāhmaṇa; from the brāhmaṇa’s stern yet controlled gaze rises a flame-like aura that engulfs the offender; behind, shadowy naraka imagery appears as a warning, while the brāhmaṇa remains composed, emphasizing the impersonal force of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires reverence and restraint; harming or provoking the righteous is said to ruin both present life and future well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in the verse; it serves as a universal warning embedded in tīrtha-māhātmya teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practical injunction is behavioral: do not incite a brāhmaṇa’s anger; uphold respectful conduct.