Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

परापवादो नो वाच्यः परेर्ष्यां न च कारयेत् । असत्यं नैव वक्तव्यं प्राणैः कंठगतैरपि

Transliteration

parāpavādo no vācyaḥ parerṣyāṃ na ca kārayet | asatyaṃ naiva vaktavyaṃ prāṇaiḥ kaṃṭhagatairapi

Translation

ఇతరులపై అపవాదు పలకకూడదు; ఇతరులపై ఈర్ష్యను కలిగించకూడదు. ప్రాణము గొంతుకు వచ్చినా అసత్యము పలకరాదు.

Word by Word

• परापवादः: slander of others
• परापवादः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + अपवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य अपवादः)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• उ: (emphatic particle)
• उ: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उ (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), पदपूरण/अनुनासिक-प्रयोग; 'नो' इत्यत्र संधौ

• वाच्यः: to be spoken; should be said
• वाच्यः: Vidhi (Prohibition/निषेध-विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + ण्यत्/यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृतान्त (passive gerundive: 'to be spoken'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निषेध-विधेय

• परईर्ष्याम्: envy of others
• परईर्ष्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + ईर्ष्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (परस्य ईर्ष्या)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कारयेत्: should cause (someone) to do; should instigate
• कारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + णिच् (प्रयोजक)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त (causative: 'cause to do')

• असत्यम्: falsehood
• असत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (न सत्यं = असत्यम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• एव: indeed; at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis/only)

• वक्तव्यम्: to be spoken; should be said
• वक्तव्यम्: Vidhi (Prohibition/निषेध-विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृतान्त (gerundive); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; निषेध-विधेय

• प्राणैः: with (one's) life-breaths; even at the cost of life
• प्राणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन

• कण्ठगतैः: having reached the throat (i.e., at the point of death)
• कण्ठगतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कण्ठ + गत (गम् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कण्ठे गताः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (even)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Ānandakānana)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands firm before threats, refusing to lie; around him, gossipers are shown turning away, while the devotee’s truthful speech is depicted as a clear stream flowing toward a temple.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Satya (truthfulness)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity of speech is central: avoid slander and envy, and hold to truth even under extreme pressure.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī implicitly, as a place where strict dharmic speech is especially enjoined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual but a vrata-like discipline: refrain from slander, envy, and lying.