Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

मार्दवं स्त्रीप्रयोगेषु वत्सलत्वं प्रजासु च । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो भयं नित्यं वृद्धवृत्त्युपजीवनम्

Transliteration

mārdavaṃ strīprayogeṣu vatsalatvaṃ prajāsu ca | brāhmaṇebhyo bhayaṃ nityaṃ vṛddhavṛttyupajīvanam

Translation

لِينٌ في معاملة النساء، ومودّةٌ للرعيّة ومن تحت الكفالة؛ وخشيةٌ مقرونةٌ بتوقيرٍ دائم أمام البراهمة (brāhmaṇas)، والعيشُ على معيشة الشيوخ الشريفة—فهذه تُمدَح كخصالٍ دَرمية.

Word by Word

• मार्दवं: gentleness, softness
• मार्दवं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्दव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्त्रीप्रयोगेषु: in dealings with women
• स्त्रीप्रयोगेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘स्त्रीणां प्रयोगेषु’

• वत्सलत्वं: affectionateness
• वत्सलत्वं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सलत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रजासु: towards/among subjects, people
• प्रजासु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: from Brahmins; with regard to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), बहुवचन

• भयं: fear, reverential fear
• भयं: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नित्यं: always
• नित्यं: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम् (adverbial accusative/avyaya-like usage)

• वृद्धवृत्त्युपजीवनम्: living on the support of elders
• वृद्धवृत्त्युपजीवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वृद्धानां वृत्त्या उपजीवनम्’ (living by the means/support of elders)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Unspecified

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder in Kāśī offers respectful seating and water to brāhmaṇas, while gently attending to women and children of the household; the scene conveys protective affection and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is expressed through gentleness, protective affection, reverence for the learned, and following time-tested elder-approved conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework; no single tirtha is named.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes behavioral discipline and reverence rather than a formal rite.