Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

गौतम उवाच । युष्माकं कीदृशे गेहे प्रवेशो न च विद्यते । सत्यं वदत माऽसत्यं सत्यं साधुषु संगतम्

Transliteration

gautama uvāca | yuṣmākaṃ kīdṛśe gehe praveśo na ca vidyate | satyaṃ vadata mā'satyaṃ satyaṃ sādhuṣu saṃgatam

Translation

Gautama sprach: In was für ein Haus habt ihr keinen Zutritt? Sagt die Wahrheit, nicht die Unwahrheit—denn Wahrheit stimmt mit den Guten überein.

Word by Word

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta (speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (speech verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• युष्माकम्: of you
• युष्माकम्: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; द्वितीयपुरुष-बहुवचन सर्वनाम

• कीदृशे: in what kind (of)
• कीदृशे: Adhikarana (location qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक विशेषणम् (to gehe)

• गेहे: in a house
• गेहे: Adhikarana (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• प्रवेशः: entry
• प्रवेशः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विद्यते: exists / is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सत्यम्: truth / truly
• सत्यम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (manner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of manner: truly)

• वदत: speak
• वदत: Kriya (command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (prohibitor)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle used with imperative)

• असत्यम्: falsehood
• असत्यम्: Karma (object of implied vadata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• साधुषु: among the good (people)
• साधुषु: Adhikarana (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन

• संगतम्: associated / found
• संगतम्: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + गम् (धातु) → संगत (कृदन्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle) विशेषणम् (to satyam)

Speaker

Gautama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pretas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Gautama, calm and austere, questions unseen pretas at a liminal spot near a sacred settlement; the atmosphere is didactic—truth is invoked as a protective force.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Pretāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truth-seeking and alignment with sādhus is the basis for learning dharma, including protections against inauspicious influences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where this dharmic dialogue is situated within the kṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite here; it is an instruction to speak truthfully in the context of rules about household sanctity.