Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

जीवेन्मृगयु धर्मेण तत्रापि करुणापरः । न विश्वस्तान्पक्षिमृगान्न सुप्तान्न व्यवायिनः

Transliteration

jīvenmṛgayu dharmeṇa tatrāpi karuṇāparaḥ | na viśvastānpakṣimṛgānna suptānna vyavāyinaḥ

Translation

猎人当依其本业而循法度而生，亦当常怀慈悲：不可杀信任之鸟兽，不可杀熟睡者，亦不可杀交配者。

Word by Word

• jīvet: should live
• jīvet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jīv (धातु)
• Form: लकारः विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्; पुरुषः 3, वचनम् एकवचनम्

• mṛgayuḥ: a hunter
• mṛgayuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛgayu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; कर्तृपदम्

• dharmeṇa: by righteousness / according to dharma
• dharmeṇa: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचनम्; करण/हेतु-भावः

• tatra: there/in that matter
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्ययम् (adverb of place)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle)

• karuṇā-paraḥ: devoted to compassion
• karuṇā-paraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (qualifier of mṛgayuḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: karuṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (कर्तुः)

• na: not
• na: Negation/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम् (negation)

• viśvastān: trusting/unsuspecting
• viśvastān: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśvasta (कृदन्त; √śvas with vi-, past passive participle sense ‘trusted/unsuspecting’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (pakṣimṛgān)

• pakṣi-mṛgān: birds and beasts
• pakṣi-mṛgān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pakṣin (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; द्वन्द्वः (birds and animals)

• na: nor/not
• na: Negation/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम्

• suptān: sleeping
• suptān: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: supta (कृदन्त; √svap, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (pakṣimṛgān)

• na: nor/not
• na: Negation/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्ययम्

• vyavāyinaḥ: mating/copulating
• vyavāyinaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyavāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (pakṣimṛgān)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (conduct for residents and forest-dwellers)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hunter lowers his bow upon seeing deer and birds that are unafraid, asleep, or paired in mating; his face shows compassion and restraint while pilgrims pass nearby, suggesting dharma’s softening influence.

Characters & Entities

• mṛgayu (hunter)
• pakṣi (birds)
• mṛga (animals)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even worldly livelihoods must be restrained by compassion; dharma forbids exploiting vulnerability (trust, sleep, mating).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s broader sacred region is the setting; the verse supports a dharmic environment for pilgrims moving through the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it prescribes ethical restraints (yama-like rules) for conduct.