Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

तस्मात्त्वया न कर्त्तव्यं मनसापि विहिंसनम् । एवमुक्तस्तदा शक्रो नारदेन महात्मना

Transliteration

tasmāttvayā na karttavyaṃ manasāpi vihiṃsanam | evamuktastadā śakro nāradena mahātmanā

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് നീ മനസ്സിലുപോലും ഹിംസ ചെയ്യരുത്. അപ്പോൾ മഹാത്മാവായ നാരദൻ ശക്രനെ (ഇന്ദ്രനെ) ഇങ്ങനെ ഉപദേശിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/सम्बन्धसूचक), अपादानार्थे ‘तस्मात्’ = ‘therefore/from that’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (सर्वनाम), तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात)

• कर्तव्यं: should be done
• कर्तव्यं: Karya/Obligation (कार्य/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृ-धातोः तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृत्य-प्रत्यय (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय-भावः ‘to be done/should be done’

• मनसा: by mind
• मनसा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Emphasis/Addition (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अपि-कार)

• विहिंसनम्: injury; harming
• विहिंसनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + हिंस् (धातु) + अनम् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त-भाववाचक (action-noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Manner (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (रीतिवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• उक्तः: (having been) told
• उक्तः: Predicate/State (विशेष्य-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; ‘having been told’

• तदा: then
• तदा: Time (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• नारदेन: by Nārada
• नारदेन: Karana/Agent of speech (करण/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: महा + आत्मन् (कर्मधारयः ‘great-souled’); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नारदस्य)

Speaker

Nārada (first line); Sūta as narrator for the closing phrase (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (Kedāranātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis addressed in Kedārakhaṇḍa frame (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, serene and authoritative, admonishes Indra to abandon violence even in thought; the setting evokes a sacred Himalayan-Śaiva atmosphere with ascetic calm.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Indra (Śakra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-violence is not only physical; dharma demands purity even at the level of intention and thought.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports Kedāra’s dharmic atmosphere by teaching inner restraint.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the instruction is ethical (mental and physical non-harming).