Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

अहिंसा परमो धर्म इहोक्तः पूर्वसूरिभिः । तस्मान्न हिंसा कर्तव्या नरैर्नरकभीरुभिः

Transliteration

ahiṃsā paramo dharma ihoktaḥ pūrvasūribhiḥ | tasmānna hiṃsā kartavyā narairnarakabhīrubhiḥ

Translation

不害（ahiṃsā）是至上的法（dharma）——古代圣贤在此如是宣说。因此，畏惧地狱（naraka）之人，切莫行诸暴害。

Word by Word

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

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मः)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/प्रसङ्गवाचक (adverb: “here/in this context”)

• उक्तः: declared/said
• उक्तः: Vidhaya (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vac धातु, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (धर्मः)

• पूर्वसूरिभिः: by the ancient sages
• पूर्वसूरिभिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + sūri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (पूर्वाः सूरयः = “former sages”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

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

• कर्तव्या: should be done (i.e., committed)
• कर्तव्या: Karya (Obligation/कर्तव्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartavya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ धातु, तव्यत्)
• Form: कृदन्त; कर्तव्यतावाचक (gerundive: “to be done/should be done”); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (हिंसा)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नरकभीरुभिः: by those fearing hell
• नरकभीरुभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक) + bhīru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—तत्पुरुष (नरकात् भीरवः = “afraid of hell”); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (नरैः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern yet compassionate sage proclaims ‘ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ’ to a gathered crowd of pilgrims; in the background, a faint contrasting vision shows the consequences of violence (naraka) as a deterrent motif.

Characters & Entities

• Pūrvasūri (ancient sages)
• Naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ahiṃsā is proclaimed the supreme dharma; one should avoid harming others, mindful of moral consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī context), not a description of a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prohibition is stated: do not perform hiṃsā (violence).