Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

विष्णोस्तु पूजनं कार्यं पति बुद्ध्या न चान्यथा । पतिमेव सदा ध्यायेद्विष्णुरूपधरं हरिम्

Transliteration

viṣṇostu pūjanaṃ kāryaṃ pati buddhyā na cānyathā | patimeva sadā dhyāyedviṣṇurūpadharaṃ harim

Translation

বিষ্ণুৰ পূজা নিশ্চয় স্বামী-বুদ্ধিৰে কৰা উচিত, অন্যথা নহয়। সদায় স্বামীৰেই ধ্যান কৰিব—সেই হৰিৰ, যি বিষ্ণু-ৰূপ ধাৰণ কৰে।

Word by Word

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• pūjanaṃ: worship
• pūjanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक; pūj-धातोः ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kāryaṃ: should be done
• kāryaṃ: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• pati-buddhyā: with the understanding (that he is) the husband
• pati-buddhyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पतिविषया बुद्धिः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• patim: the husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• dhyāyet: should meditate upon
• dhyāyet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• viṣṇu-rūpa-dharaṃ: bearing the form of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-rūpa-dharaṃ: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक; धृ-धातोः अच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः रूपं धरति इति)

• harim: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• harim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A widow performs Viṣṇu pūjā before a small image of Hari; in her meditation, the husband’s form subtly merges into a four-armed Viṣṇu vision—conch, discus, mace, lotus—signifying transmutation of personal bond into divine devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Viṣṇu
• Hari
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches devotional worship of Viṣṇu and constant contemplative remembrance, framed through a relational vow of fidelity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī provides the larger sacred setting, but this verse is centered on Viṣṇu-upāsanā rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Viṣṇu-pūjā (worship of Viṣṇu) and dhyāna (meditation) upon Hari/Viṣṇu.