Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितो लोको धर्मः सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितः । उदधिः सत्यवाक्येन मर्यादां न विलंघयेत्

Transliteration

satye pratiṣṭhito loko dharmaḥ satye pratiṣṭhitaḥ | udadhiḥ satyavākyena maryādāṃ na vilaṃghayet

Translation

സത്യത്തിലാണ് ലോകം പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതം; ധർമ്മവും സത്യത്തിലാണ് സ്ഥാപിതം. സത്യവാക്യത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവംകൊണ്ട് സമുദ്രം പോലും തന്റെ നിശ്ചിത പരിധി ലംഘിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितः: established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोकः: the world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• धर्मः: dharma/righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• प्रतिष्ठितः: established
• प्रतिष्ठितः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उदधिः: the ocean
• उदधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• सत्यवाक्येन: by a truthful word/promise
• सत्यवाक्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य + वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सत्यं वाक्यं यस्य/सत्यं वाक्यम्)

• मर्यादाम्: boundary/limit
• मर्यादाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• विलङ्घयेत्: should transgress
• विलङ्घयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual, not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sakhyaḥ (companions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the ocean held within its shoreline by the force of satya, while a teacher-figure proclaims truth as the world’s foundation.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Udadhi (Ocean)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satya (truthfulness) is the very ground of dharma; it upholds cosmic order and personal integrity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a dharmic maxim within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tīrtha-name is stated in the shloka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on the vow-like power of truthful speech.