Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अहिंसैषा समाख्याता वेदसंविहिता च या । दृष्टं श्रुतं चानुमितं स्वानुभूतं यथार्थतः

Transliteration

ahiṃsaiṣā samākhyātā vedasaṃvihitā ca yā | dṛṣṭaṃ śrutaṃ cānumitaṃ svānubhūtaṃ yathārthataḥ

Translation

สิ่งนี้เรียกว่าอหิงสา และยังเป็นข้อบัญญัติในพระเวทด้วย—กล่าวตามความจริงถึงสิ่งที่เห็น ได้ยิน อนุมาน และประสบด้วยตนเอง อย่างถูกต้องตรงตามสภาวะ

Word by Word

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एषा: this
• एषा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अहिंसां विशेषयति (this)

• समाख्याता: is termed/defined
• समाख्याता: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मणि (is called/defined)

• वेदसंविहिता: enjoined by the Veda
• वेदसंविहिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + संविहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अहिंसां विशेषयति; वेदेन संविहिता (enjoined by the Veda)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (which)

• दृष्टम्: seen
• दृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; (seen)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; (heard)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अनुमितम्: inferred
• अनुमितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + मा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; (inferred)

• स्वानुभूतम्: personally experienced
• स्वानुभूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + अनुभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-एकवचन; स्वेन अनुभूतम् (personally experienced)

• यथार्थतः: truly/as it is
• यथार्थतः: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथार्थतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb); तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (in accordance with reality)

Speaker

Nārada (continuing instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage holds palm-leaf manuscripts (śruti) while pointing to four icons representing pramāṇas: an eye (dṛṣṭa), an ear (śruta), a smoke-to-fire diagram (anumāna), and a meditating figure with inner light (svānubhūti); a gentle aura signifies ahiṃsā as the governing ethic.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Ahiṃsā
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā is Veda-sanctioned and includes truthfulness aligned with reality—one should relate experience without distortion or harm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse establishes a universal dharmic principle rather than a place-specific māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes an ethical discipline: uphold non-violence and truthful alignment with what is seen, heard, inferred, and realized.