Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

द्विजमात्रेपि या हिंसा सा हिंसा कुशलाय न । देशं वंशं श्रियं स्वं च निर्मूलयति कालतः

Transliteration

dvijamātrepi yā hiṃsā sā hiṃsā kuśalāya na | deśaṃ vaṃśaṃ śriyaṃ svaṃ ca nirmūlayati kālataḥ

Translation

ഒരു ബ്രാഹ്മണനോടുള്ള ഹിംസ പോലും ക്ഷേമകരമല്ല; കാലക്രമത്തിൽ അത് ദേശവും വംശവും സ്വന്തം ശ്രീസമ്പത്തും വേരോടെ പിഴുതെറിയും।

Word by Word

• द्विज-मात्रे: even in (the case of) a brāhmaṇa alone
• द्विज-मात्रे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (द्विजस्य मात्रे = even in the case of a brāhmaṇa alone)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हिंसा: violence, harm
• हिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हिंसा: violence
• हिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कुशलाय: for welfare, for good
• कुशलाय: Sampradana (Beneficiary/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थे), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजन-चतुर्थी

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• देशम्: country, region
• देशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वंशम्: lineage
• वंशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्रियम्: prosperity, fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्वम्: one's own
• स्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (own)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• निर्मूलयति: uproots, destroys
• निर्मूलयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्-√मूलय् (धातु, denom. from मूल)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• कालतः: in due course; with time
• कालतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Vinatā (continuing counsel to Garuda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Garuḍa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vinatā delivers a stern dharmic maxim: even harming one brāhmaṇa uproots kingdom, lineage, and wealth over time; the scene is didactic, with Garuḍa absorbing the warning.

Characters & Entities

• Dvija/Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)
• Vinatā
• Garuda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā and reverence toward the dharmic community are foundational; harm to a brāhmaṇa rebounds as social and personal ruin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting; this verse emphasizes dharma rather than naming a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the injunction is moral—avoid violence, especially against a dvija.