Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । असत्यं यदवोचस्त्वं चतुरानन मत्पुरः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | asatyaṃ yadavocastvaṃ caturānana matpuraḥ

Translation

Īśvara dit : « Ô Quatre-Visages, ce que tu as prononcé devant Moi est mensonge ».

Word by Word

• īśvaraḥ: Īśvara (Lord Śiva)
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (ईश्वर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• asatyam: untruth; falsehood
• asatyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asatya (असत्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (वस्तुनिर्देशः)

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• avocaḥ: you said
• avocaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• caturānana: O four-faced one
• caturānana: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur-ānana (चतुर् + आनन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः)

• mat-puraḥ: in my presence
• mat-puraḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mad + puraḥ (मद् सर्वनाम + पुरः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः (पुरः = in front of; with genitive ‘mat’ = of me)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setukṣetra (Setu)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks a concise, piercing sentence to Brahmā: the untruth is named plainly; the atmosphere becomes still, as if the cosmos pauses.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Brahmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness is non-negotiable in dharma; the Divine directly confronts deception.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu/Rāmeśvaram context is implied by Setukhaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on ethical instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a moral pronouncement preceding ritual consequences.