Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सत्येन वायु र्वहति सत्येन तपते रविः । सागरः सत्यवाक्येन मर्यादां न विलंघयेत्

Transliteration

satyena vāyu rvahati satyena tapate raviḥ | sāgaraḥ satyavākyena maryādāṃ na vilaṃghayet

Translation

Par la Vérité le vent souffle ; par la Vérité le soleil dispense sa chaleur. Par la puissance de la parole véridique, l’océan ne franchit pas sa limite.

Word by Word

• सत्येन: by truth
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-अर्थे (instrumental/means)

• वायुः: wind
• वायुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• वहति: blows / carries
• वहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सत्येन: by truth
• सत्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-अर्थे

• तपते: shines / burns
• तपते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• रविः: the Sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• सागरः: the ocean
• सागरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• सत्यवाक्येन: by a truthful word / by truth-speaking
• सत्यवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य-वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक; सत्य + वाक्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-सम्भवः) ‘सत्यं वाक्यं यस्य/यत्’

• मर्यादाम्: boundary, limit
• मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• विलङ्घयेत्: would/should transgress
• विलङ्घयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; निषेधेन ‘न ... विलङ्घयेत्’ = ‘does not/should not transgress’

Speaker

Kṛtaghna (the preta)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic tableau: wind moving, sun blazing, and the ocean held at its shoreline—each stabilized by a radiant personification of Satya/Ṛta (a luminous figure or mantra-like aura).

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (wind)
• Ravi (sun)
• Sāgara (ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya is depicted as the sustaining principle of ṛta—cosmic order—governing nature itself.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None directly; the verse universalizes satya as a cosmic force within the larger tīrtha narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of speech: uphold satyavākya (truthful words) as a sacred vow.