Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

यथा वयं त्वया सार्द्धमसत्या न चतुर्मुख । भवामोऽस्य कृते देव तथा किंचिद्विधीयताम्

Transliteration

yathā vayaṃ tvayā sārddhamasatyā na caturmukha | bhavāmo'sya kṛte deva tathā kiṃcidvidhīyatām

Translation

“Ôi Đấng Bốn Mặt! Xin Ngài liệu bày phương cách, để chúng con cùng với Ngài không trở thành kẻ nói dối vì cớ người ấy, lạy Chúa tể.”

Word by Word

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (Comparative connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यथार्थे/उपमायाम् (as/just as)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural: we)

• tvayā: with you
• tvayā: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Instrumental singular: with/by you)

• sārddham: together
• sārddham: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sārddham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with/together)

• asatyāḥ: untruthful
• asatyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of ‘vayam’/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asatya (असत्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative plural: untruthful)

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

• caturmukha: O four-faced (Brahmā)
• caturmukha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur (चतुर्) + mukha (मुख)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि समास; पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular: O four-faced one)

• bhavāmaḥ: we are/become
• bhavāmaḥ: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लट् (present); उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन (1st person plural)

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: of him)

• kṛte: for the sake (of)
• kṛte: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛta (कृत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृते इति सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण प्रयुक्तम्; हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग (for the sake of; lit. in the matter of)

• deva: O god
• deva: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (देव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• tathā: thus/so
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तथार्थे (so/thus)

• kiṃcit: something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Accusative singular: something)

• vidhīyatām: let (it) be arranged/done
• vidhīyatām: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhā (धा धातु) + वि उपसर्ग; (विधीयते)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense); कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (let it be done/arranged)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Saptarṣis) addressing Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (episode locus)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sages, palms joined, address Brahmā with urgency: ‘Arrange something so our words do not become untrue for this boy.’ Brahmā listens, poised to act.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā (Caturmukha)
• bālaka (child, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Truthfulness is non-negotiable in dharma; even celestial authorities are invoked to ensure truth is upheld.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a theological appeal within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa storyline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a supplication requesting a divine arrangement (vidhi) to avert falsehood.