Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अन्या अपि हि याः सत्यः पातिव्रत्यपरायणाः । ता भर्तृचरणौ हित्वा किंचिदन्यन्न मन्वते

Transliteration

anyā api hi yāḥ satyaḥ pātivratyaparāyaṇāḥ | tā bhartṛcaraṇau hitvā kiṃcidanyanna manvate

Translation

অন্য সত্য পতিব্রতা নারীরাও, যারা পাতিকর্তব্যে সম্পূর্ণ নিবিষ্ট, স্বামীর চরণে শরণ নিয়ে আর অন্য কিছু কল্পনাও করে না।

Word by Word

• anyāḥ: other (women)
• anyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• yāḥ: who/which
• yāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• satyāḥ: truthful
• satyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier)

• pātivratya-parāyaṇāḥ: devoted to wifely fidelity
• pātivratya-parāyaṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātivratya (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): पातिव्रत्ये परायणाः = devoted to wifely fidelity

• tāḥ: they (those women)
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• bhartṛ-caraṇau: (their) husband's feet
• bhartṛ-caraṇau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भर्तुः चरणौ = husband's feet

• hitvā: having abandoned
• hitvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hā (धाातु/धातु: हा—त्यागे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• kiṃcit: anything/something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निपात)
• Form: अनिश्चित-परिमाणवाचक (indefinite), अव्ययप्रयोग (something/a little)

• anyat: other (thing)
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• manvate: they think/consider
• manvate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु: मन्—ज्ञाने/मनने)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue tradition, Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet domestic tableau: devoted wives with lowered gaze, hands folded, seated near their husbands’ feet, conveying unwavering pativratā-niṣṭhā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It upholds single-pointed commitment and loyalty as a dharmic ideal, portraying steadfastness as a spiritual strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it appears within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is ethical instruction rather than ritual guidance.