Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कूटसाक्ष्यरता ह्येते कटुवाङ्निरतास्तथा । एते लोहमयास्तम्भान्संतप्तान्पावकप्र भान्

Transliteration

kūṭasākṣyaratā hyete kaṭuvāṅniratāstathā | ete lohamayāstambhānsaṃtaptānpāvakapra bhān

Translation

Ce sont ceux qui se complaisent dans le faux témoignage et s’adonnent à la parole âpre ; on les contraint à enlacer des piliers de fer, chauffés à blanc, flamboyants comme le feu.

Word by Word

• कूट-साक्ष्य-रताः: addicted to false testimony
• कूट-साक्ष्य-रताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक) + साक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘एते’ इत्यस्य

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• एते: these (people)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• कटु-वाक्-निरताः: engaged in harsh speech
• कटु-वाक्-निरताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कटु (प्रातिपदिक) + वाक् (प्रातिपदिक) + निरत (कृदन्त; √रम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘एते’ इत्यस्य

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Discourse/Modifier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एते: these (people)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• लोह-मयान्: made of iron
• लोह-मयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोह (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘स्तम्भान्’ इत्यस्य

• स्तम्भान्: pillars
• स्तम्भान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• संतप्तान्: heated, scorched
• संतप्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संतप्त (कृदन्त; सम्+√तप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘स्तम्भान्’

• पावक-प्रभान्: shining like fire
• पावक-प्रभान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण—‘स्तम्भान्’

Speaker

Unspecified (Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa witness

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sinners who enjoyed false testimony and harsh speech are forced to cling to blazing iron pillars, glowing like fire; their mouths are shown as the symbolic source of sin, while the pillars represent unyielding truth.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness and gentle speech are pillars of dharma; violating them through perjury and cruelty rebounds as intense suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose Māhātmya teaches dharma by contrasting pilgrimage merit with the fate of adharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes ethical disciplines: satya (truth) and śubha-vāk (wholesome speech).