श्रुतिभूदेवदेवानां नृपसाधुतपस्विनाम् । पतिव्रतानां नारीणां निन्दां कुर्यान्न कर्हि चित
śrutibhūdevadevānāṃ nṛpasādhutapasvinām | pativratānāṃ nārīṇāṃ nindāṃ kuryānna karhi cita
Nunca, en ningún tiempo, debe uno incurrir en la calumnia de los venerados por el Veda: de los devas, de los brāhmaṇas —dioses en la tierra—, de los reyes justos, de los santos y ascetas, ni de las mujeres pativratā, castas y fieles a su esposo.
Skanda (deduced from Purāṇic instruction style within Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa)
Scene: A forest-āśrama setting: a teacher instructs a gathered audience on guarding speech; devas above, brāhmaṇas and tapasvins seated; a pativratā woman depicted as radiant, symbolizing chastity and dharma.
Dharma begins with restraint of speech—never malign those who embody sacred authority, tapas, and virtue.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it lays universal conduct (sadācāra) appropriate for sacred settings like Dharmāraṇya.
No ritual is prescribed; the injunction is ethical—avoid nindā (slander) of venerable persons.