Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

मन्यंते भ्रूणहत्यापि विशिष्टा नास्य कर्मणः । अघ्न्या इति गवां नाम श्रुतौ ताः पीडयेत्कथम्

Transliteration

manyaṃte bhrūṇahatyāpi viśiṣṭā nāsya karmaṇaḥ | aghnyā iti gavāṃ nāma śrutau tāḥ pīḍayetkatham

Translation

Họ cho rằng ngay cả tội sát hại bào thai cũng còn nhẹ hơn việc này. Vì trong Veda, bò được gọi là “aghnyā” — “không được làm hại”; vậy sao có thể hành hạ chúng?

Word by Word

• मन्यन्ते: they think/consider
• मन्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• भ्रूणहत्या: foeticide (killing of an embryo)
• भ्रूणहत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूण + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव (also/even)

• विशिष्टा: superior, more grave
• विशिष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशिष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √शिष्/√शास् with वि-; past participle used adjectivally)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अस्य: of this/of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्मणः: of the act/deed
• कर्मणः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अघ्न्या: ‘not to be killed’ (cow, as a sacred epithet)
• अघ्न्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ्न्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• इति: thus/“as”
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग (quotative particle)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी (Genitive, 6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रुतौ: in the Veda/scripture
• श्रुतौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative, 7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ताः: them (those cows)
• ताः: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पीडयेत्: should torment/harm
• पीडयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-teacher cites Vedic authority ‘aghnyā’ while a distressed cow is protected from torment; the moral gravity is shown through contrasting calm compassion and looming sin.

Characters & Entities

• Śruti (Veda)
• Gāvaḥ (Cows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śruti-based Dharma forbids harming cows; cruelty to them is portrayed as extremely sinful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned; the verse appeals to Vedic authority for ethical teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is stated; the prescription is non-harm and reverence toward cows (go-rakṣā/go-sevā).