Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

न तोयगृध्नून्न शिशून्नांतर्वर्त्नित्वलक्षणान् । स घातयति धर्मज्ञो जातिधर्मपराङ्मुखः

Transliteration

na toyagṛdhnūnna śiśūnnāṃtarvartnitvalakṣaṇān | sa ghātayati dharmajño jātidharmaparāṅmukhaḥ

Translation

ଧର୍ମଜ୍ଞ ସେ ଜଳ ପାଇଁ ତୃଷ୍ଣାର୍ତ୍ତ ଜଲଗୃଧ୍ନମାନଙ୍କୁ, ଶିଶୁମାନଙ୍କୁ, ଓ ଗର୍ଭିଣୀର ଲକ୍ଷଣ ଥିବାକୁ ହତ୍ୟା କରେନାହିଁ; ଏପରି ନୀଚ ଜାତିଧର୍ମବଦ୍ଧ କ୍ରୂରତାରୁ ସେ ପରାଙ୍ମୁଖ ରହେ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Negation/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम्

• toya-gṛdhnūn: those greedy for water
• toya-gṛdhnūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛdhnu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; ‘जल-लोलुपान्’ इति

• na: nor/not
• na: Negation/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम्

• śiśūn: young ones/infants
• śiśūn: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiśu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्

• na: nor/not
• na: Negation/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम्

• antar-vartnitva-lakṣaṇān: those having the mark of being with young (pregnant)
• antar-vartnitva-lakṣaṇān: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antar (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vartnin (प्रातिपदिक) + tva (प्रत्यय) + lakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (हन्तव्य-वस्तूनाम्); ‘अन्तर्वर्त्नित्व’ = गर्भावस्था/गर्भिणीभावः (pregnancy) इति भावार्थः

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• ghātayati: causes to be killed / kills
• ghātayati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ghātaya (धातु √घात्/√हन् causative; प्रेरणार्थक)
• Form: लकारः लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्; पुरुषः 3, वचनम् एकवचनम्; causative (णिच्)

• dharma-jñaḥ: knower of dharma
• dharma-jñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (saḥ)

• jāti-dharma-parāṅmukhaḥ: turned away from the dharma of (one’s) kind/species
• jāti-dharma-parāṅmukhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jāti (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + parāṅmukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (saḥ); ‘पराङ्मुख’ = विमुखः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ethical perimeter of the holy city)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At a small forest waterhole, animals bend to drink; a hunter recognizes their thirst and lowers his weapon. Nearby, a fawn and a visibly pregnant doe are spared; the scene radiates moral clarity.

Characters & Entities

• dharma
• śiśu (young)
• toya (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires mercy toward the vulnerable; righteousness is measured by restraint, not power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśīkhaṇḍa setting frames this as conduct befitting the sacred environs and pilgrimage routes of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse gives moral prohibitions protecting vulnerable beings.