Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19
वसिष्ठ उवाच । अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे स्वैरेष्वपि हि जिह्वया । तस्मान्नास्ति मखः कश्चित्सत्यं त्वं यष्टुमिच्छसि
vasiṣṭha uvāca | anṛtaṃ noktapūrvaṃ me svaireṣvapi hi jihvayā | tasmānnāsti makhaḥ kaścitsatyaṃ tvaṃ yaṣṭumicchasi
বসিষ্ঠে ক’লে: মোৰ জিভাই আগতে কেতিয়াও অসত্য কোৱা নাই, স্বেচ্ছাৰ মুহূৰ্ততো নহয়। সেয়ে তুমি যি বিচাৰিছা তেনে কোনো যজ্ঞ নাই; সত্যতে তুমি অধৰ্মসঙ্গত কৰ্ম কৰিবলৈ ইচ্ছা কৰিছা।
Vasiṣṭha
Listener: Triśaṅku
Scene: Vasiṣṭha, serene and austere, addresses King Triśaṅku in a royal-sacrificial hall; sages sit in rows, fire-altars present but unlit, emphasizing refusal grounded in truth.
FAQs
Truthfulness (satya) is foundational to dharma; a rite that conflicts with truth and propriety is rejected even by a powerful sage.
No tīrtha is named in this verse; it is ethical instruction within a Māhātmya narrative frame.
It negates the possibility of a certain ‘makha’ (sacrifice) being performable under the demanded conditions.