Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

अश्लक्ष्णं चापि संदिग्धं पदांते गुरु चाक्षरम् । पराङ्मुखमुखं यच्च अनृतं चाप्यसंस्कृतम्

Transliteration

aślakṣṇaṃ cāpi saṃdigdhaṃ padāṃte guru cākṣaram | parāṅmukhamukhaṃ yacca anṛtaṃ cāpyasaṃskṛtam

Translation

കർക്കശമായത്, സംശയജനകമായത്, പദാന്തത്തിൽ ഗുരു (ഭാരമുള്ള) അക്ഷരമുള്ളത്; അശുഭ/അസൗകര്യമായ ആരംഭമുള്ളത്; അസത്യവും അസംസ്കൃതവുമായ വാക്ക്—ഇവയും ദോഷങ്ങളാണ്।

Word by Word

• अश्लक्ष्णम्: harsh/rough
• अश्लक्ष्णम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्लक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• संदिग्धम्: ambiguous/doubtful
• संदिग्धम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संदिग्ध (कृदन्त; √दिह्/√दिग् in sense ‘to doubt’ with सम्-)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• पदान्ते: at the end of a word
• पदान्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (पदस्य अन्ते)

• गुरु: heavy (long)
• गुरु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन (अक्षरम् इति विशेष्ये)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अक्षरम्: a syllable
• अक्षरम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पराङ्मुखमुखम्: having the face turned away (incoherent/averse)
• पराङ्मुखमुखम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक) + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पराङ्मुखं मुखं यस्य/यत्)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object—relative/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अनृतम्: untrue/false
• अनृतम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक

• असंस्कृतम्: unrefined/incorrectly formed
• असंस्कृतम्: Karma (Object—item in list/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंस्कृत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √कृ with सम्-; ‘not refined’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) नञ्-पूर्वक

Speaker

Satyavrata

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrasting panels: on one side a speaker with harsh expression causing distress; on the other a refined, truthful speaker beginning with maṅgala, calming listeners; emphasis on the moral contrast.

Characters & Entities

• Satyavrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech must be both ethically true and aesthetically/reflexively refined; harshness, ambiguity, and untruth are treated as spiritual and social defects.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha appears; the verse continues a general teaching on defects in speech.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes restraint and refinement—avoid harsh, doubtful, and untrue speech.