Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितो लोको धर्मः सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः । उदधिः सत्यवाक्येन मर्यादां न विलंघयेत्

Transliteration

satye pratiṣṭhito loko dharmaḥ satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ | udadhiḥ satyavākyena maryādāṃ na vilaṃghayet

Translation

Die Welt ist in der Wahrheit gegründet, und auch das Dharma ist in der Wahrheit gegründet. Durch die Kraft des wahrhaftigen Wortes überschreitet selbst der Ozean nicht die ihm gesetzte Grenze.

Word by Word

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितः: established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोकः: the world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

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

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितः: established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उदधिः: the ocean
• उदधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्यवाक्येन: by a truthful word/promise
• सत्यवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सत्यं वाक्यं यस्य/सत्यं वाक्यम्)

• मर्यादाम्: boundary/limit
• मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• विलङ्घयेत्: should transgress
• विलङ्घयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual, not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sakhyaḥ (companions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the ocean held within its shoreline by the force of satya, while a teacher-figure proclaims truth as the world’s foundation.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Udadhi (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) is the very ground of dharma; it upholds cosmic order and personal integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a dharmic maxim within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tīrtha-name is stated in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on the vow-like power of truthful speech.