Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

मन्यंते भ्रूणहत्यापि विशिष्टा नास्य कर्मणः । अघ्न्या इति गवां नाम श्रुतौ ताः पीडयेत्कथम्

Transliteration

manyaṃte bhrūṇahatyāpi viśiṣṭā nāsya karmaṇaḥ | aghnyā iti gavāṃ nāma śrutau tāḥ pīḍayetkatham

Translation

അവന്റെ ഈ പ്രവൃത്തിയേക്കാൾ ഭ്രൂണഹത്യ പോലും കുറച്ച് ഗുരുതരമെന്നു അവർ കരുതുന്നു. ശ്രുതിയിൽ പശുക്കൾക്ക് ‘അഘ്ന്യാ’—അർത്ഥം ‘ഹിംസിക്കരുതാത്തവർ’—എന്ന നാമം; പിന്നെ അവരെ എങ്ങനെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കും?

Word by Word

• मन्यन्ते: they think/consider
• मन्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• भ्रूणहत्या: foeticide (killing of an embryo)
• भ्रूणहत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूण + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• विशिष्टा: superior, more grave
• विशिष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √शिष्/√शास् with वि-; past participle used adjectivally)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• अस्य: of this/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मणः: of the act/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अघ्न्या: ‘not to be killed’ (cow, as a sacred epithet)
• अघ्न्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ्न्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus/“as”
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुतौ: in the Veda/scripture
• श्रुतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताः: them (those cows)
• ताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पीडयेत्: should torment/harm
• पीडयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-teacher cites Vedic authority ‘aghnyā’ while a distressed cow is protected from torment; the moral gravity is shown through contrasting calm compassion and looming sin.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti (Veda)
• Gāvaḥ (Cows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śruti-based Dharma forbids harming cows; cruelty to them is portrayed as extremely sinful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse appeals to Vedic authority for ethical teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is stated; the prescription is non-harm and reverence toward cows (go-rakṣā/go-sevā).