Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

बहुहिंसाकृतां हिंसा भवेत्स्वर्गस्य साधनम् । विहिंसितेषु दुष्टेषु रक्ष्यते भूरिशो यतः

Transliteration

bahuhiṃsākṛtāṃ hiṃsā bhavetsvargasya sādhanam | vihiṃsiteṣu duṣṭeṣu rakṣyate bhūriśo yataḥ

Translation

“बहुहिंसाकृतां प्रति हिंसा स्वर्गस्य साधनं भवेत्; दुष्टेषु विहिंसितेषु बहवो रक्ष्यन्ते यतः।”

Word by Word

• bahu-hiṃsā-kṛtām: of those who have committed much violence
• bahu-hiṃsā-kṛtām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛt (कृदन्त; √kṛ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—बहुहिंसां कृतवताम् (of those who have done much violence)

• hiṃsā: violence; killing
• hiṃsā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhavet: would be/becomes
• bhavet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• svargasya: of heaven
• svargasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• sādhanam: means; instrument
• sādhanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• vihiṃsiteṣu: when/among those who are harmed
• vihiṃsiteṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vihiṃsita (कृदन्त; √hiṃs)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय; past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेष्य—दुष्टेषु

• duṣṭeṣu: among the wicked
• duṣṭeṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• rakṣyate: is protected
• rakṣyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• bhūriśaḥ: greatly; abundantly
• bhūriśaḥ: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūriśas (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: greatly/abundantly)

• yataḥ: because
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (indeclinable: because/for)

Speaker

Vinatā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Frame) Agastya; immediate speaker Vinatā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral-legal tableau: Garuḍa as divine enforcer subdues violent offenders, while innocents are safeguarded behind him.

Characters & Entities

• Vinatā
• Garuḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Protective force used to stop great harm is framed as dharmic when it safeguards many lives.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tirtha is mentioned; the verse belongs to Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader dharma-oriented narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is ethical justification within dharma (protection of the many).