Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

सत्यं ब्रुवंतु वै देवा ब्रह्मेशविष्णुमध्यतः । तां वाचं च समाकर्ण्य देवा विस्मयमागताः

Transliteration

satyaṃ bruvaṃtu vai devā brahmeśaviṣṇumadhyataḥ | tāṃ vācaṃ ca samākarṇya devā vismayamāgatāḥ

Translation

„Die Devas sollen wahrhaft die Wahrheit sprechen — hier, in der Gegenwart von Brahmā, Īśa (Śiva) und Viṣṇu.“ Als sie diese Rede vernahmen, gerieten die Devas in Staunen.

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); क्रियाविशेषणवत् (as adverbial accusative)

• ब्रुवन्तु: let them speak
• ब्रुवन्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ब्रह्मेशविष्णुमध्यतः: from the midst of Brahmā, Īśa and Viṣṇu
• ब्रह्मेशविष्णुमध्यतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् + ईश + विष्णु + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (मध्य), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); 'मध्यतः' इति तसिल्-अव्ययीभाववत् (from the midst)

• ताम्: that
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाचम्: speech, utterance
• वाचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• समाकर्ण्य: having heard
• समाकर्ण्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + कर्ण्/कृ (धातु; √कर्ण् = to hear)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया (having heard)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विस्मयम्: astonishment
• विस्मयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• आगताः: came to, attained
• आगताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Brahmā (continuing from prior verse), with narrative reaction noted

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pāṇḍavaśreṣṭha (likely Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas stand between the three great deities—Brahmā, Śiva (Īśa), and Viṣṇu—hesitant yet compelled to speak truth; their faces show vismaya (astonishment) as the gravity of the moment dawns.

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Brahmā
• Īśa (Śiva)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) is upheld as the highest dharma, especially when spoken before the highest divine authorities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; it strengthens the Dharmāraṇya Māhātmya by emphasizing dharmic virtues within sacred narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal ritual is prescribed; the ethical prescription is satya-vacana—speaking truth in a sacred, accountable setting.