Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

व्रतोपवासनियमं पतिमुल्लंघ्य या चरेत् । आयुष्यं हरते भर्त्तुर्मृता निरयमृच्छति

Transliteration

vratopavāsaniyamaṃ patimullaṃghya yā caret | āyuṣyaṃ harate bhartturmṛtā nirayamṛcchati

Translation

من تُقيم نذرًا أو صومًا أو نظامًا تعبّديًا متجاوزةً سلطة زوجها يُقال إنها تُنقِص عمر زوجها؛ فإذا ماتت مضت إلى الجحيم.

Word by Word

• व्रत: vow
• व्रत: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• उपवास: fasting
• उपवास: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• नियमम्: vows, fasts, and observances
• नियमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (व्रत-उपवास-नियम) इतरेतरद्वन्द्वसमाहारः (collective)

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उल्लङ्घ्य: having transgressed/overstepped
• उल्लङ्घ्य: Kriya (Non-finite/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकालिकक्रिया

• या: who (a woman)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• चरेत्: should practice/undertake
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• आयुष्यम्: lifespan
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• हरते: takes away
• हरते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मृता: having died
• मृता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• निरयम्: hell
• निरयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ऋच्छति: goes/attains
• ऋच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ऋच्छ्/गम् (धातु; √ऋच्छ्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A woman fasting with a vow-mark (tilaka, vrata-thread) stands defiant; the husband appears weakened (symbolic fading aura). In the background, a shadowy naraka motif (dark river, iron city) contrasts with Kāśī’s bright ghāṭs—visualizing misdirected austerity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames religious observances as needing to align with one’s dharmic station; vows are criticized when done in defiance of household order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is part of a dharma-instruction passage within Kāśīkhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references vrata (vows), upavāsa (fasting), and niyama (observances), warning against performing them while ‘overstepping’ the husband.