Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

उत्तमाधममध्यत्वममीषां वर्णयंति ये । असत्यवादिनः पापास्ते यांति निरयं ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

uttamādhamamadhyatvamamīṣāṃ varṇayaṃti ye | asatyavādinaḥ pāpāste yāṃti nirayaṃ dhruvam

Translation

ഈ ദിവ്യദേവന്മാരെ ‘ഉത്തമം, അധമം, മധ്യം’ എന്നു വേർതിരിച്ച് പറയുന്ന പാപികളായ അസത്യവാദികൾ നിശ്ചയമായും നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• uttama-adhama-madhyatvam: the state of being superior, inferior, or middling
• uttama-adhama-madhyatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (-त्व) भाववाचक; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उत्तमत्व-अधमत्व-मध्यत्व इति भावसमाहारः)

• amīṣām: of these (people)
• amīṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• varṇayanti: they describe / proclaim
• varṇayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √varṇ (वर्ण्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ye: who (those who)
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• asatya-vādinaḥ: speakers of falsehood
• asatya-vādinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-satya (प्रातिपदिक) + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (असत्यं वदन्ति इति)

• pāpāḥ: sinful ones
• pāpāḥ: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• yānti: go
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• nirayam: to hell
• nirayam: Gati-Karma (Destination/गत्यर्थकर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• dhruvam: certainly
• dhruvam: Kriya-Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निश्चयार्थे/नूनम्-इत्यर्थे)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deductive, Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (best of kings) is implied in the surrounding dialogue frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the sacred forest of Naimiṣa, austere sages admonish a disputant: do not label the gods as high/low; the atmosphere is stern, didactic, and judicial.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not promote divisive, false rankings of revered divine powers; sectarian slander is treated as a grave ethical fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on dharma regarding speech and reverence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral injunction (niṣedha) against false, sinful speech.