Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

परापवादो नो वाच्यः परेर्ष्यां न च कारयेत् । असत्यं नैव वक्तव्यं प्राणैः कंठगतैरपि

Transliteration

parāpavādo no vācyaḥ parerṣyāṃ na ca kārayet | asatyaṃ naiva vaktavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṃṭhagatairapi

Translation

Man soll keine Verleumdung über andere aussprechen und keinen Neid gegen andere schüren. Unwahrheit soll man niemals sagen, selbst wenn das Leben schon bis an die Kehle steht — selbst um den Preis des Lebens.

Word by Word

• परापवादः: slander of others
• परापवादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + अपवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य अपवादः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• उ: (emphatic particle)
• उ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), पदपूरण/अनुनासिक-प्रयोग; 'नो' इत्यत्र संधौ

• वाच्यः: to be spoken; should be said
• वाच्यः: Vidhi (Prohibition/निषेध-विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + ण्यत्/यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृतान्त (passive gerundive: 'to be spoken'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निषेध-विधेय

• परईर्ष्याम्: envy of others
• परईर्ष्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य ईर्ष्या)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

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

• कारयेत्: should cause (someone) to do; should instigate
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त (causative: 'cause to do')

• असत्यम्: falsehood
• असत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (न सत्यं = असत्यम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed; at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• वक्तव्यम्: to be spoken; should be said
• वक्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Prohibition/निषेध-विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृतान्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निषेध-विधेय

• प्राणैः: with (one's) life-breaths; even at the cost of life
• प्राणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• कण्ठगतैः: having reached the throat (i.e., at the point of death)
• कण्ठगतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठ + गत (गम् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कण्ठे गताः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (even)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandakānana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands firm before threats, refusing to lie; around him, gossipers are shown turning away, while the devotee’s truthful speech is depicted as a clear stream flowing toward a temple.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Satya (truthfulness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of speech is central: avoid slander and envy, and hold to truth even under extreme pressure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī implicitly, as a place where strict dharmic speech is especially enjoined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual but a vrata-like discipline: refrain from slander, envy, and lying.