Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

पार्वत्युवाच । न हास्यावसरः सख्यः सत्यमेव हि कथ्यताम् । एकांतावसरे हास्यं जायते चेतरेतरम्

Transliteration

pārvatyuvāca | na hāsyāvasaraḥ sakhyaḥ satyameva hi kathyatām | ekāṃtāvasare hāsyaṃ jāyate cetaretaram

Translation

ปารวตีตรัสว่า: “สหายทั้งหลาย นี่มิใช่กาลแห่งการล้อเล่น จงกล่าวแต่ความจริงเถิด ในยามลับตา ความหัวเราะย่อมเกิดขึ้นระหว่างสหายได้”

Word by Word

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• हास्य: of joking/laughter
• हास्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; ‘अवसरः’ इति विशेष्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• अवसरः: (this is) the occasion/opportunity
• अवसरः: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सख्यः: O friend
• सख्यः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सखि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative form used as address), एकवचन

• सत्यम्: the truth
• सत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Hetu (Reason marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; causal/emphatic)

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told
• कथ्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• एकान्तावसरे: on a private occasion
• एकान्तावसरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एकान्त + अवसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (एकान्तस्य अवसरः)

• हास्यम्: laughter/joking
• हास्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• इतर-इतरम्: mutually/one another
• इतर-इतरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-प्रयोग (reciprocal sense)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kṛttikās

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī gently but firmly admonishes her friends: this is not the moment for joking; speak the truth. She notes that laughter belongs to private moments between companions.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Kṛttikās (addressed as friends)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthful speech (satya) is dharma; sacred matters require seriousness and clarity rather than playful ambiguity.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it supports the narrative leading into the tīrtha’s glory.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the instruction is ethical—speak truth without delay or jest.