Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17
परापवादो नो वाच्यः परेर्ष्यां न च कारयेत् । असत्यं नैव वक्तव्यं प्राणैः कंठगतैरपि
parāpavādo no vācyaḥ parerṣyāṃ na ca kārayet | asatyaṃ naiva vaktavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṃṭhagatairapi
One must not speak slander of others, nor incite envy toward others. One must never speak falsehood—even if one’s very life has come up to the throat (even at the cost of life).
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandakānana)
Type: kshetra
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.
FAQs
Purity of speech is central: avoid slander and envy, and hold to truth even under extreme pressure.
Kāśī implicitly, as a place where strict dharmic speech is especially enjoined.
Not a ritual but a vrata-like discipline: refrain from slander, envy, and lying.