Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

सत्यं ब्रूयात्प्रियं बूयान्न ब्रूयात्सत्यमप्रियम् । प्रियं च नानृतं ब्रूयादेष धर्मो विधीयते

Transliteration

satyaṃ brūyātpriyaṃ būyānna brūyātsatyamapriyam | priyaṃ ca nānṛtaṃ brūyādeṣa dharmo vidhīyate

Translation

Sprich die Wahrheit; sprich, was angenehm ist. Sprich keine Wahrheit, die verletzt; und sprich keine angenehme Unwahrheit. Dies ist das gebotene Dharma.

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• ब्रूयात्: should speak
• ब्रूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रियम्: what is pleasing
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रूयात्: should speak
• ब्रूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• ब्रूयात्: should speak
• ब्रूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अप्रियम्: unpleasant
• अप्रियम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (सत्यं इति विशेष्यस्य)

• प्रियम्: what is pleasing
• प्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अनृतम्: falsehood
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रूयात्: should speak
• ब्रूयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• विधीयते: is prescribed
• विधीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु) + वि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest hermitage (āraṇya) where a teacher instructs a disciple on dharma of speech; calm sages, palm-leaf manuscripts, gentle hand-gesture of instruction (upadeśa-mudrā).

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma refines speech: truth should be joined with compassion, and pleasantness must never be purchased with falsehood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse teaches universal dharma of vāṇī (ethical speech).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It prescribes a discipline of speech—truthful, beneficial, and non-harmful communication.