Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

स एवाधर्म एवास्ति लोके धर्मविदां वर । वेदमंत्रैविहन्यंते विना शस्त्रेण जंतवः

Transliteration

sa evādharma evāsti loke dharmavidāṃ vara | vedamaṃtraivihanyaṃte vinā śastreṇa jaṃtavaḥ

Translation

“ນັ້ນແຫຼະແມ່ນອະທັມໃນໂລກ ໂອ ຜູ້ຮູ້ທຳມະຜູ້ປະເສີດ: ເມື່ອສັດທັງຫຼາຍຖືກຂ້າໂດຍບໍ່ມີອາວຸດ ແຕ່ໃຊ້ມົນຕຣາພຣະເວດລ້ວນໆ.”

Word by Word

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Vākya-sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अधर्मः: unrighteousness
• अधर्मः: Samānādhikaraṇa (predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Vākya-sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• धर्मविदाम्: of the knowers of dharma
• धर्मविदाम्: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), बहुवचन

• वर: O best (one)
• वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• वेद-मन्त्रैः: by Vedas and mantras
• वेद-मन्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः (द्वन्द्वः) — ‘वेदाश्च मन्त्राश्च’

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Vākya-sambandha
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय

• विहन्यन्ते: are slain/struck
• विहन्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• विना: without
• विना: Viyoga (exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (preposition), वियोगार्थक (without)

• शस्त्रेण: by a weapon
• शस्त्रेण: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• जन्तवः: living beings
• जन्तवः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ‘Best of knowers of dharma’ (addressed interlocutor)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn admonition: the teacher’s face turns grave, indicating that mantra can kill like a hidden weapon; listeners appear chastened.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Vedic mantras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred authority cannot justify harm; using mantra or ritual power to injure beings is branded as adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the implied sacred setting; the verse focuses on moral discernment rather than a pilgrimage benefit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No prescription; it criticizes killing through mantra-power, warning against misuse of sacred knowledge.