Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सत्यं न त्यज सर्वत्र प्राप्तेऽपि प्राणसंकटे । गोब्राह्मणानां रक्षार्थमसत्यं त्वं वद क्वचित्

Transliteration

satyaṃ na tyaja sarvatra prāpte'pi prāṇasaṃkaṭe | gobrāhmaṇānāṃ rakṣārthamasatyaṃ tvaṃ vada kvacit

Translation

Gib die Wahrheit nirgends auf, selbst wenn dein Leben in Gefahr ist. Doch zum Schutz der Kühe und der Brāhmaṇas darfst du in mancher Lage auch Unwahres sprechen.

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• त्यज: abandon
• त्यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वत्र: everywhere; in all situations
• सर्वत्र: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: everywhere)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has occurred
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle) used locatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle relation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• प्राणसंकटे: in danger to life
• प्राणसंकटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + संकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: प्राणानां संकटे; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• गोब्राह्मणानाम्: of cows and brāhmaṇas
• गोब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (copulative): गोश्च ब्राह्मणाश्च; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• रक्षार्थम्: for (their) protection
• रक्षार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास; प्रयोजनवाचक-अव्यय (purpose: for the sake of protection)

• असत्यम्: untruth
• असत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुषार्थे (2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वद: speak
• वद: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• क्वचित्: in some case; sometimes
• क्वचित्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: sometimes/in some case)

Speaker

Unspecified elder/teacher figure in Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (didactic instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral dilemma scene: a protector stands between aggressors and a cow/Brāhmaṇa; the protector’s raised hand signals restraint, while his face shows resolve and discernment.

Characters & Entities

• Go (cow)
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth is the norm, but dharma also weighs protection of the vulnerable and sacred—go and brāhmaṇa—when harm is imminent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a general dharma-nīti statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; it addresses ethical speech and protective duty (rakṣā-dharma).