Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

तत्र केचिदविश्वस्ता मिथ्यावाणीत्यवादिषुः । तेषां जिह्वा द्विधा भिन्ना ववमुस्ते कृमीन्क्षणात्

Transliteration

tatra kecidaviśvastā mithyāvāṇītyavādiṣuḥ | teṣāṃ jihvā dvidhā bhinnā vavamuste kṛmīnkṣaṇāt

Translation

Là, quelques incrédules dirent : « C’est une voix mensongère ». Aussitôt leur langue se fendit en deux, et sur-le-champ ils vomirent des vers.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; किम्-प्रश्न/अनिश्चित सर्वनाम (indefinite: ‘some’)

• अविश्वस्ताः: distrustful
• अविश्वस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + viśvasta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-युक्त विशेषण; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural, masculine)

• मिथ्यावाणी: false speech
• मिथ्यावाणी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + vāṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (मिथ्या वाणी); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular, feminine)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• अवादिषुः: said/declared
• अवादिषुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + vad (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (अनद्यतनभूत/अओरिस्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (aorist, 3rd pl.)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (Genitive plural)

• जिह्वा: tongue
• जिह्वा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jihvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular, feminine)

• द्विधा: in two
• द्विधा: Adhikarana (Manner/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dvidhā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: ‘in two parts’)

• भिन्ना: split
• भिन्ना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhid (धातु) + ta (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Nominative singular, feminine)

• ववमुः: vomited
• ववमुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vam (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (perfect, 3rd pl.)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (Nominative plural, masculine)

• कृमीन्: worms
• कृमीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Accusative plural, masculine)

• क्षणात्: in an instant / at once
• क्षणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन (Ablative singular, masculine)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; reporting consequence of denying the divine voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skeptics mock the proclamation as false; instantly their tongues split and they retch worms—horrific, cautionary spectacle; others recoil in terror.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contempt for truth and reckless speech are shown as self-destructive; dharma demands humility before higher testimony and restraint in words.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a moral consequence rather than a ritual.