Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 64
राजोवाच । अहिंसा परमो धर्मो अहिंसा च परं तपः । अहिंसा परमं ज्ञानमहिंसा परमं फलम्
rājovāca | ahiṃsā paramo dharmo ahiṃsā ca paraṃ tapaḥ | ahiṃsā paramaṃ jñānamahiṃsā paramaṃ phalam
രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു—അഹിംസയാണ് പരമധർമ്മം; അഹിംസയാണ് പരമതപസ്. അഹിംസയാണ് പരമജ്ഞാനം; അഹിംസയാണ് പരമഫലം।
The king (Kumārapāla in context)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Listener: Brāhmaṇas
Scene: The king speaks with composed authority, palm raised in teaching gesture, while brāhmaṇas listen; the forest appears serene, suggesting the quiet power of non-violence as supreme dharma.
FAQs
Ahiṃsā is presented as the summit of dharma, ascetic practice, wisdom, and spiritual attainment.
The teaching is situated in Dharmāraṇya; the ‘greatness’ emphasized is the greatness of ahiṃsā as dharma.
The prescription is ethical and universal: practice ahiṃsā as the foremost religious discipline.