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

جو زمین پر چلنے والے جانداروں کو سخت کلامی وغیرہ سے بھی ایذا نہیں دیتا، اور جپ کے ذریعے روحانی کمال پاتا ہے—وہی ‘مَیتْر’ مُنی کہلاتا ہے۔

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.