Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

मंकणक उवाच । अनृतं न मया प्रोक्तं स्वैरेणापि कदाचन । तस्मादेवंविधाः सर्वे जलसर्पा भविष्यथ

Transliteration

maṃkaṇaka uvāca | anṛtaṃ na mayā proktaṃ svaireṇāpi kadācana | tasmādevaṃvidhāḥ sarve jalasarpā bhaviṣyatha

Translation

Maṅkaṇaka dit : «Jamais, même dans la liberté ou l’insouciance, je n’ai proféré de mensonge. C’est pourquoi vous deviendrez tous des serpents d’eau de cette même espèce.»

Word by Word

• मंकणकः: Maṃkaṇaka
• मंकणकः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मंकणक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• अनृतम्: falsehood, untruth
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/नकार)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमपुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken, said
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Passive Participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘spoken’

• स्वैरेण: voluntarily, at will
• स्वैरेण: Karana (Manner/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वैर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया, एकवचन; साधन/प्रकारवाचकः (‘at will/voluntarily’)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ), ‘even/also’

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• कदाचन: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक), ‘ever/at any time’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतौ/तस्मात्), ‘therefore’

• एवंविधाः: of this kind, such
• एवंविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (एवं-विधः = ‘of such kind’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (जलगसर्पाः इति)

• जलसर्पाः: water-snakes
• जलसर्पाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + सर्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (जलस्य सर्पाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• भविष्यथ: you will become
• भविष्यथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Maṅkaṇaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Maṅkaṇaka, composed and radiant, declares his unwavering truth; before him, serpent-beings or petitioners receive a transformative decree—becoming water-serpents.

Characters & Entities

• Maṅkaṇaka
• Jalasarpāḥ (water-serpents)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness (satya) is portrayed as a sage’s defining power; words spoken from such integrity become irrevocable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The transformation narrative is embedded in the chapter’s tīrtha setting (the Sārasvata-related lake/area), explaining phenomena associated with the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes satya and the consequential potency of a sage’s declaration.