Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अहिंसयन्दुरुक्ताद्यैः प्राणिनो भूमिचारिणः । यः सिद्धिमेति जप्येन स मैत्रो मुनिरुच्यते

Transliteration

ahiṃsayanduruktādyaiḥ prāṇino bhūmicāriṇaḥ | yaḥ siddhimeti japyena sa maitro munirucyate

Translation

ଯେ ଭୂମିଚାରୀ ପ୍ରାଣୀମାନଙ୍କୁ କଠୋର ବଚନ ଆଦିଦ୍ୱାରା ମଧ୍ୟ ଆଘାତ କରେନାହିଁ, ଏବଂ ଜପଦ୍ୱାରା ସିଦ୍ଧି ପାଏ—ସେଇ ‘ମୈତ୍ର’ ମୁନି ବୋଲି କୁହାଯାଏ।

Word by Word

• अहिंसयन्: not harming
• अहिंसयन्: Karta (Agent; implied ‘he who…’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अ-हिंस (धातु/नामधातु ‘हिंस’ with negation) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); ‘अहिंसन्’ = not harming

• दुरुक्ताद्यैः: by harsh words and the like
• दुरुक्ताद्यैः: Karana (Means/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरुक्त-आदि (प्रातिपदिक; दुरुक्त + आदि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (आदि-समाहार), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘दुरुक्त’ आदि (harsh words etc.)

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karma (Object affected)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भूमिचारिणः: moving on the earth
• भूमिचारिणः: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूमि-चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक; भूमि + चारिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (of प्राणिनः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिद्धिम्: attainment/success
• सिद्धिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एति: attains/goes to
• एति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• जप्येन: by (a) recitation/mantra to be repeated
• जप्येन: Karana (Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; जप् + यत् ‘to be recited’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Correlative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मैत्रः: Maitra (friendly one)
• मैत्रः: Karta-predicative (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणवत् (as epithet)

• मुनिः: sage
• मुनिः: Karta-predicative (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa discourse, likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa lineage)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic tableau: the sage’s calm face and gentle hand gesture as if instructing—around him small creatures move unharmed, illustrating non-violence in action and speech.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual attainment is joined with ahiṃsā—non-harm in deed and even in speech—supported by steady japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it states a general dharma-definition of a ‘maitra’ sage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (mantra repetition) is presented as a means to siddhi, to be practiced with non-violence and gentle speech.