Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

ब्रह्माणं क्षमयामासुर्विष्णुं प्रति सुरोत्तमाः । विष्णुश्च तद्वचः श्रुत्वा सत्यंसत्यं भविष्यति

Transliteration

brahmāṇaṃ kṣamayāmāsurviṣṇuṃ prati surottamāḥ | viṣṇuśca tadvacaḥ śrutvā satyaṃsatyaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

శ్రేష్ఠ దేవతలు బ్రహ్మదేవుని శాంతింపజేయాలని యత్నించి విష్ణువైపు తిరిగారు. విష్ణువు ఆ మాటలు విని—“సత్యం, సత్యం; అది తప్పక జరుగుతుంది” అని పలికాడు।

Word by Word

• brahmāṇam: Brahmā
• brahmāṇam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• kṣamayāmāsuḥ: they begged pardon (forgave/asked forgiveness)
• kṣamayāmāsuḥ: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Perfect, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• viṣṇum: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇum: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• prati: towards; to
• prati: Sambandha (Relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपसर्गसदृश-पूर्वपद/संबन्धे (Preposition-like indeclinable: 'towards/with regard to')

• sura-uttamāḥ: the best of the gods
• sura-uttamāḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (Conjunction)

• tat: his/that
• tat: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• vacaḥ: words; speech
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• satyam: true, indeed true
• satyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/Emphasis)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• satyam: true
• satyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate/Emphasis)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Future, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

Speaker

Narration with Viṣṇu’s response (implicit ‘Viṣṇu said’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas bow to Brahmā in appeasement, then turn toward Viṣṇu; Viṣṇu responds with calm certainty, hand raised in abhaya/assurance.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Viṣṇu
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣamā (forgiveness) and satya (truthfulness) restore harmony even after conflict and harsh speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya is the locus; the affirmation leads into the sacred act through which a tīrtha is established.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the emphasis is on reconciliation and the inevitability of divine order.