Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

सत्यं वदत्यस्य पिता सत्यं माता प्रभाषते । सत्यं वदेति मुनिभिः सत्यवान्नाम वै कृतम्

Transliteration

satyaṃ vadatyasya pitā satyaṃ mātā prabhāṣate | satyaṃ vadeti munibhiḥ satyavānnāma vai kṛtam

Translation

«Son père dit la vérité; sa mère aussi proclame la vérité. Puisque les sages déclarent : “Il dit la vérité”, on lui a véritablement donné le nom de Satyavān.»

Word by Word

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (accusative of content)

• वदति: speaks
• वदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अस्य: of him, his
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम्-प्रातिपदिक (अस्य)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रभाषते: speaks, utters
• प्रभाषते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• वद: speak
• वद: Kriya (Quoted command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha/Quotation marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• मुनिभिः: by sages
• मुनिभिः: Karana/Agent-instrument (करण/कर्तृ-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• सत्यवान्: Satyavan (truthful one)
• सत्यवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘सत्यं वदति’/‘सत्यं यस्य’)

• नाम: name
• नाम: Karma/Predicate nominal (नाम-निर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘नाम’ इति रूपम्

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• कृतम्: was made (as), was given
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृत (क्त) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि—‘was made/given’

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: प्रभासक्षेत्र

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: नृपति (frame-story)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet hermitage scene: parents speaking with calm sincerity; sages nearby confer and bestow the name ‘Satyavān’ upon the child/young man, emphasizing truth as his defining radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Satyavān

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truth) is portrayed as the root of character and spiritual power—so central that it becomes one’s very identity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya narrative, where truthfulness is celebrated as a sacred virtue befitting holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual; the verse teaches nāma-nirukti (name-derivation) grounded in dharmic virtue—truthful speech.