Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 173

Devanagari script

न मृषा वचनं प्रोक्तं स्वैरेणापि गुरो मया । किं पुनर्यत्तवार्थाय तस्मान्मौनं समाचर

Transliteration

na mṛṣā vacanaṃ proktaṃ svaireṇāpi guro mayā | kiṃ punaryattavārthāya tasmānmaunaṃ samācara

Translation

ഗുരോ, അശ്രദ്ധയിലുപോലും ഞാൻ അസത്യവചനം പറഞ്ഞിട്ടില്ല; നിങ്ങളുടെ കാര്യാർത്ഥം സംബന്ധിച്ചാൽ പിന്നെ എങ്ങനെ അസത്യം പറയും? അതിനാൽ മൗനം ആചരിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• मृषा: falsely
• मृषा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मृषा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: falsely)

• वचनम्: statement, word
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्वैरेण: by one's own will, arbitrarily
• स्वैरेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वैर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (स्वैरम् इति प्रायः; अत्र तृतीया-एकवचन रूपेण); तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd); एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (in a self-willed manner)

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

• गुरो: O guru
• गुरो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे (O guru)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• पुनः: moreover, then
• पुनः: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्य (again, moreover)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th); एकवचन

• अर्थाय: for the sake of (your) purpose/benefit
• अर्थाय: Sampradana (Purpose/recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th); एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-विभक्ति; एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (therefore)

• मौनम्: silence
• मौनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• समाचर: practice, observe
• समाचर: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Śiṣya (disciple, speaking to his guru)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close, intimate composition: disciple earnestly assures the guru of his truthfulness; the guru’s face softens, signaling trust.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness is foundational; the speaker emphasizes integrity in speech and recommends mauna to avoid conflict and error.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse; it functions as ethical instruction within the tīrthamāhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is mauna (silence) as a vow-like restraint.