Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 122

Devanagari script

आदौ मध्ये तथा चांते येषां वाक्यमदोषवत् । कषदाहैः स्वर्णमिव च्छेदेऽपि स्याच्छुभं शुभम्

Transliteration

ādau madhye tathā cāṃte yeṣāṃ vākyamadoṣavat | kaṣadāhaiḥ svarṇamiva cchede'pi syācchubhaṃ śubham

Translation

مَن كانت كلماته بلا عيب في البدء والوسط والختام—كالذهب يُمتحن بحجر المحكّ والنار—يبقى مباركًا ميمونًا وإن قُطِع وفُحِص.

Word by Word

• ādau: at the beginning
• ādau: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ādau (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'so, likewise')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• ante: at the end
• ante: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• yeṣām: of whom
• yeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सूचक सर्वनाम

• vākyam: speech, statement
• vākyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• adoṣavat: faultless
• adoṣavat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + doṣavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (दोषवान् इति; तदभावः)

• kaṣa-dāhaiḥ: by rubbing and burning (tests)
• kaṣa-dāhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + dāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्व (कषश्च दाहश्च)

• svarṇam: gold
• svarṇam: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

• cchede: in cutting, in being cut
• cchede: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ccheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: 'even/also')

• syāt: may be, would be
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• śubham: good, auspicious
• śubham: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• śubham: goodness, auspiciousness
• śubham: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाव/गुणवाचक-नाम (as substantive)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Goldsmith imagery: a pure gold ornament is rubbed on a touchstone, heated in fire, and even cut—yet it shines; beside it, a scroll of flawless words remains unblemished through scrutiny.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True speech is consistent and withstands scrutiny; integrity is proven through testing, not appearance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly mentioned; the verse supports dharmic discernment applicable to all sacred journeys.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the ‘test’ is metaphorical—evaluating consistency and purity of words.