Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 77
Devanagari script
सत्यमेव प्रभाषेत स वक्ता नेतरो भुवि । मिथ्यावादाञ्छास्त्रजालसंभवान्यद्विहाय च
Transliteration
satyameva prabhāṣeta sa vaktā netaro bhuvi | mithyāvādāñchāstrajālasaṃbhavānyadvihāya ca
Translation
Only one who speaks truth is truly a speaker in this world—none other. Cast aside falsehoods, even those fashioned through a web of sophistical arguments parading as “scripture.”
Word by Word
सत्यम्truth
सत्यम्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootसत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (object/adv. acc.)
एवonly/indeed
एव:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)
प्रभाषेतshould speak forth
प्रभाषेत:
Kriyā (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + √भाष् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्
सःhe/that person
सः:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-एकवचन
वक्ता(true) speaker
वक्ता:
Karta (Subject complement)
TypeNoun
Rootवक्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √वच् + तृच्)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-एकवचन
नnot
न:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
इतरःanother (person)
इतरः:
Karta (Predicate nominal)
TypeNoun
Rootइतर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-एकवचन
भुविon earth/in the world
भुवि:
Adhikaraṇa (Location)
TypeNoun
Rootभू (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-एकवचन (locative singular)
मिथ्यावादान्false statements/lying speeches
मिथ्यावादान्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootमिथ्या + वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-बहुवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-भावः (मिथ्या वादाः)
शास्त्रजालसंभवान्arising from a net of (pseudo-)scriptures
शास्त्रजालसंभवान्:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootशास्त्र + जाल + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (शास्त्रजालात् सम्भवाः) विशेषणम् (मिथ्यावादानाम्)
यत्which
यत्:
Karma (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative)
विहायhaving abandoned/avoiding
विहाय:
Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Prior action)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवि + √हा (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-अव्यय
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced, Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)
FAQs
Truthfulness is the essence of righteous speech; clever argumentation cannot sanctify falsehood.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the emphasis is on satya as a universal dharma.
The implied vow is satya (truthfulness); no other ritual act is specified here.