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Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 121

मायाविनां हि ब्रुवतां वाक्यं चांडबरावृतम् । कुनाणकमिवोद्दीप्तं परीक्षेयं सदा सताम्

māyāvināṃ hi bruvatāṃ vākyaṃ cāṃḍabarāvṛtam | kunāṇakamivoddīptaṃ parīkṣeyaṃ sadā satām

Car la parole des trompeurs est enveloppée d’un éclat d’apparences ; telle une monnaie contrefaite qui brille, elle doit toujours être éprouvée par les gens de bien.

māyāvināmof deceivers/illusionists
māyāvinām:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootmāyāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन
hiindeed, for
hi:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
Formहेतौ/निश्चये निपात (particle: 'indeed/for')
bruvatāmof those who speak
bruvatām:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Root√brū (ब्रू) शतृ (कृदन्त)
Formषष्ठी (Genitive), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle)
vākyamspeech, statement
vākyam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvākya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात
āḍambara-āvṛtamcovered by pomp
āḍambara-āvṛtam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootāḍambara (प्रातिपदिक) + āvṛta (कृदन्त; ā-√vṛ वृ, क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आडम्बरेण आवृतम्)
ku-nāṇakama counterfeit coin
ku-nāṇakam:
Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootku (उपसर्ग/अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + nāṇaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कु=दुष्ट/निकृष्ट; 'bad coin')
ivalike
iva:
Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
Formउपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)
uddīptamshining, glittering
uddīptam:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootud-√dīp (दीप्) क्त (कृदन्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त
parīkṣeyamshould be examined
parīkṣeyam:
Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
TypeAdjective
Rootpari-√īkṣ (ईक्ष्) यत्/तव्यत् (कृदन्त; gerundive)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तव्यत्/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (to be examined)
sadāalways
sadā:
Kāla (Time/काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsadā (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'always')
satāmof the good (people)
satām:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootsat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; 'सत्' = सज्जन

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Scene: A wise person holds a shining coin to the light and then to a touchstone, while a deceiver smiles behind a veil of glittering words; the scene emphasizes testing over appearance.

FAQs

Do not be misled by eloquence or display; a virtuous person tests claims by dharma and truth.

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives general dharma-guidance relevant to all pilgrimage contexts.

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the practice here is ethical vigilance—examining speech and intent.