Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

कथं यूयं प्रवर्तध्वे विप्रा हिंसापरायणाः । तच्छ्रुत्वा वज्रतुल्यं हि वचनं च द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

kathaṃ yūyaṃ pravartadhve viprā hiṃsāparāyaṇāḥ | tacchrutvā vajratulyaṃ hi vacanaṃ ca dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ಓ ವಿಪ್ರರೇ, ಹಿಂಸೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಾಯಣರಾಗಿ ನೀವು ಹೇಗೆ ಪ್ರವೃತ್ತರಾಗುತ್ತೀರಿ? ಆ ವಜ್ರಸಮಾನ ವಚನವನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿ ದ್ವಿಜೋತ್ತಮರು—

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रवर्तध्वे: engage/act
• प्रवर्तध्वे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• विप्राः: O Brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हिंसापरायणाः: devoted to violence
• हिंसापरायणाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिंसा-परायण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• वज्रतुल्यम्: thunderbolt-like
• वज्रतुल्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Hetu/Avadharana (Reason/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• द्विजोत्तमाः: the best of twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजोत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

The king (first half); narrator resumes (second half, leading into next verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king confronts the brāhmaṇas with a piercing question; the brāhmaṇas recoil slightly, faces stunned, as if struck by a thunderbolt; the forest seems momentarily still.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇas (viprāḥ/dvijottamāḥ)
• hiṃsā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is judged by compassion; even revered groups are questioned when their actions contradict ahiṃsā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya remains the sacred frame; the verse magnifies dharma-teaching rather than pilgrimage description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; it is a corrective admonition against हिंसा as a religious practice.