Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

अत्रत्य जंतुरक्षार्थमसत्यमपि भाषयेत् । येनकेनप्रकारेण शुभेनाप्यशुभेन वा

Transliteration

atratya jaṃturakṣārthamasatyamapi bhāṣayet | yenakenaprakāreṇa śubhenāpyaśubhena vā

Translation

ഇവിടെ ജീവരക്ഷയ്ക്കായി ആവശ്യമെങ്കിൽ അസത്യം പോലും പറയാം—ഏതു രീതിയിലായാലും, ശുഭമായാലും അശുഭമായാലും, രക്ഷ സാധിച്ചാൽ മതി.

Word by Word

• अत्रत्य: here-present; belonging to this place
• अत्रत्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अत्र + त्य (तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (अत्र भवः = atratya)

• जन्तु: of a creature; of a being
• जन्तु: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• रक्षार्थम्: for protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (रक्षायै अर्थः) = प्रयोजनार्थक (for the sake of protection)

• असत्यम्: falsehood
• असत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (even)

• भाषयेत्: should speak; may utter
• भाषयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भाष् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त (causative/denominative sense: 'should utter/speak')

• येन: by which; by whatever
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचक

• केन: by some; by any
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग

• प्रकारेण: in a manner; by a method
• प्रकारेण: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• शुभेन: by a good (means)
• शुभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधनवाचक

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (even/also)

• अशुभेन: by an evil (means)
• अशुभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandakānana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee misdirects a pursuer to save an innocent being; the protected creature/person is sheltered near a ghat-side shrine, emphasizing compassion over rigid literalism.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Jantu (living beings)
• Rakṣā (protection)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-harm and protection of life are paramount; ethical speech is guided by compassionate intent to safeguard beings.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī implicitly, as the moral-spiritual context (‘here’) for heightened dharmic responsibility.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it gives an ethical exception: untruth may be spoken if necessary to protect a living being.