Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

न हिंसया विनाऽस्माकं यतः स्यात्प्राणधारणम् । तस्माद्ब्रूहि महाभागे किञ्चिन्मम सुखावहम् । उपदेशं सुधर्माय हिंसकस्यापि देहिनाम्

Transliteration

na hiṃsayā vinā'smākaṃ yataḥ syātprāṇadhāraṇam | tasmādbrūhi mahābhāge kiñcinmama sukhāvaham | upadeśaṃ sudharmāya hiṃsakasyāpi dehinām

Translation

Vì không có bạo lực thì chúng ta không thể duy trì mạng sống. Bởi vậy, ôi bậc phúc đức, xin hãy nói cho ta điều gì đem lại an lạc—một lời chỉ dạy hướng về Chánh Pháp, ngay cả cho kẻ mang thân mà còn bạo hại.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• hiṃsayā: by violence
• hiṃsayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• vinā: without
• vinā: Sambandha (Relation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोगार्थक-अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश (preposition: without)

• asmākam: of us
• asmākam: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Pronoun, Genitive, Plural)

• yataḥ: since/because
• yataḥ: Sambandha (Causal connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (causal indeclinable: since/because)

• syāt: would be/is possible
• syāt: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person, Singular)

• prāṇa-dhāraṇam: sustaining of life-breath
• prāṇa-dhāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (prāṇānāṃ dhāraṇam)

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन (Pronoun, Ablative, Singular)

• brūhi: tell (me)
• brūhi: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (2nd person, Singular)

• mahābhāge: O greatly fortunate one
• mahābhāge: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahābhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular); कर्मधारयः (महान् भागः यस्याः)

• kiñcit: something
• kiñcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiñcit (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• mama: for me/of me
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Pronoun, Genitive, Singular)

• sukhāvaham: bringing happiness
• sukhāvaham: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āvaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुखम् आवहति इति)

• upadeśam: instruction
• upadeśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upadeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• sudharmāya: for good dharma / for righteous conduct
• sudharmāya: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sudharmā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (Feminine, Dative, Singular)

• hiṃsakasya: of a violent one
• hiṃsakasya: Sambandha (Of a violent one/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hiṃsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

• api: even/also
• api: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• dehinām: of embodied beings
• dehinām: Sambandha (Of embodied beings/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

Speaker

Vyāghra (the tiger)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tiger, troubled by the paradox of survival through violence, addresses a compassionate cow (Nandinī) in a forest setting, seeking a dharmic instruction that can still bring well-being.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even those trapped in harmful conduct can seek guidance, and Dharma provides remedial paths suited to one’s condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative is steering toward a particular forest Liṅga whose darśana and circumambulation grant release.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual yet; it is a request for upadeśa (instruction) and a workable dharmic remedy.