Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 4
अविदस्तत्त्वतः सत्यं शपथेनाभिलंघयेत् । महर्षिभिश्च देवैश्च सत्यार्थाः शपथाः कृताः
avidastattvataḥ satyaṃ śapathenābhilaṃghayet | maharṣibhiśca devaiśca satyārthāḥ śapathāḥ kṛtāḥ
തത്ത്വമായി സത്യം അറിയാത്തവൻ ശപഥത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ച് സത്യം ലംഘിച്ചേക്കാം. അതുകൊണ്ട് മഹർഷികളും ദേവന്മാരും സത്യസംരക്ഷണത്തിനായിട്ടാണ് ശപഥങ്ങൾ സ്ഥാപിച്ചത്.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Listener: Arjuna
Scene: A didactic vision: ṛṣis and devas collectively ‘establish’ the institution of oath for truth—shown as a cosmic assembly handing down a dharma-scroll; below, a human figure tempted to misuse an oath is restrained by the teaching.
FAQs
Oaths are meant to protect truth, not to cover ignorance or enable wrongdoing; dharma stands on truthful speech.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on universal purāṇic dharma regarding truth and oaths.
The verse implies the proper use of śapatha (oath) as a dharmic safeguard, not as a casual or deceptive practice.