Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 99

Devanagari script

न हेमहारी ब्रह्मघ्नो न चैव गुरुतल्पगः । न स्त्रीघ्नो न च बालघ्नो न चैवानृतभाषणः

Transliteration

na hemahārī brahmaghno na caiva gurutalpagaḥ | na strīghno na ca bālaghno na caivānṛtabhāṣaṇaḥ

Translation

സ്വർണം കവർന്നവൻ ആരുമില്ല; ബ്രാഹ്മണഹന്താവും ഇല്ല; ഗുരുതൽപം ലംഘിക്കുന്നവനും ഇല്ല. സ്ത്രീഹന്താവില്ല, ബാലഹന്താവില്ല, അസത്യഭാഷിയും ഇല്ല.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• hema-hārī: gold-stealer
• hema-hārī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + hārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (हेमं हरति = gold-stealer)

• brahma-ghnaḥ: Brahmin-slayer
• brahma-ghnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणं हन्ति = slayer of a Brahmin)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only/indeed)

• guru-talpagaḥ: violator of the guru’s bed
• guru-talpagaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक) + talpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (गुरोः तल्पं गच्छति = one who violates the teacher’s bed)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• strī-ghnaḥ: woman-killer
• strī-ghnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्त्रियं हन्ति = woman-killer)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• bāla-ghnaḥ: child-killer
• bāla-ghnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (बालं हन्ति = child-killer)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• anṛta-bhāṣaṇaḥ: speaker of lies
• anṛta-bhāṣaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष-समास (अनृतं भाषते = speaker of falsehood)

Speaker

Narrator (sectional voice; likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau of ‘absence of mahāpātaka’: guru honored, brāhmaṇas protected, women and children safe, truthful speech in assemblies; no scenes of violence—only protective gestures and respectful postures.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Guru

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest dharma is non-violence and truthfulness, with strict avoidance of the gravest sins.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No; the verse is a moral portrait of an ideal age rather than a tīrtha-stuti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it lists prohibited acts (grave sins) rather than prescribing a rite.