Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

नूनं तेषां मृषा वादो मोक्षमार्गसमु द्भवः

Transliteration

nūnaṃ teṣāṃ mṛṣā vādo mokṣamārgasamu dbhavaḥ

Translation

Assurément, leur propos, né au sujet de la voie de la délivrance, doit être mensonger.

Word by Word

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Avadharana (Certainty/निश्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of certainty)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• mṛṣā: falsely
• mṛṣā: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mṛṣā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• vādaḥ: statement/claim
• vādaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• mokṣa-mārga-samudbhavaḥ: arising from the path of liberation
• mokṣa-mārga-samudbhavaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mokṣa + mārga + samudbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (mokṣamārgasya samudbhavaḥ)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages) (contextual continuation of their questioning)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disputant-sage speaks sharply, dismissing mokṣa-talk as false; other sages look concerned while Sūta’s son remains composed, ready to answer.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Doubt is voiced so that true teaching can be established; the tradition often uses skepticism to sharpen understanding of mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a rhetorical conclusion by the sages.