Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

परपीडामकुर्वाणः पर लोकसहायिनम् । धर्म एव सहायी स्यादमुत्र परिरक्षितः

Transliteration

parapīḍāmakurvāṇaḥ para lokasahāyinam | dharma eva sahāyī syādamutra parirakṣitaḥ

Translation

മറ്റുള്ളവരെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കാത്തവൻ പരലോകത്തിൽ സഹായിയെ നേടുന്നു. അവിടെ ധർമ്മം തന്നെയാണ് കൂട്ടുകാരനായി അവനെ സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നത്.

Word by Word

• पर: of another
• पर: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; पीडा इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे (in compound)

• पीडाम्: harm/affliction
• पीडाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीडा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कृदन्तस्य कर्म

• अकुर्वाणः: not doing
• अकुर्वाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शानच् (शतृ/शानच्) with नकार (अ-निषेध)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शानच् कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नकारेण निषेधः

• पर: other/next
• पर: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; लोक इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे (in compound)

• लोक: world
• लोक: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-समासाङ्ग (compound member)

• सहायिनम्: helper/benefactor
• सहायिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अकुर्वाणः इत्यस्य विशेष्य (apposition)

• धर्मः: dharma/merit
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सहायी: a companion/helper
• सहायी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अमुत्र: there (in the next world)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक अव्यय (there/in the other world)

• परिरक्षितः: protected
• परिरक्षितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + रक्ष् (धातु) + त (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृविशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally framed within Sūta’s discourse in Purāṇic setting)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A traveler at a crossroads between worlds: relatives fade into the background while a luminous figure labeled ‘Dharma’ stands as the sole companion; foreground shows the traveler refraining from harming another being.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-harming (ahiṃsā) is a direct investment in one’s afterlife; dharma alone accompanies and safeguards the soul.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse provides the ethical foundation expected of pilgrims and householders alike.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The practical injunction is ethical: refrain from injuring others; this itself functions as a powerful dharma-practice.