Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

गुरोरनुज्ञया स्नात्वा व्रतं वेदं समाप्य च । उद्वहेत ततो भार्यां सवर्णां साधुलक्षणाम्

Transliteration

guroranujñayā snātvā vrataṃ vedaṃ samāpya ca | udvaheta tato bhāryāṃ savarṇāṃ sādhulakṣaṇām

Translation

Mit der Erlaubnis des Guru, nach dem abschließenden Bad und nachdem Gelübde und Vedenstudium vollendet sind, soll man sodann eine Gattin derselben Varṇa heiraten, gekennzeichnet durch tugendhafte Eigenschaften.

Word by Word

• गुरोः: of the teacher
• गुरोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• अनुज्ञया: with permission
• अनुज्ञया: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive): having bathed

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• वेदम्: the Veda (study)
• वेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• समाप्य: having completed
• समाप्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-√आप् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund): having completed

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

• उद्वहेत: should marry/take in marriage
• उद्वहेत: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√वह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (thereafter/then)

• भार्याम्: a wife
• भार्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• सवर्णाम्: of the same caste/class
• सवर्णाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (समानो वर्णः यस्याः)

• साधुलक्षणाम्: having good characteristics
• साधुलक्षणाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधु + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (साधूनि लक्षणानि यस्याः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśī Khaṇḍa context: Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young graduate of Vedic study performs the samāvartana bath with guru’s blessing; afterward, a modest marriage arrangement is shown—garlands, sacred fire—emphasizing virtue and discipline rather than spectacle.

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Veda
• Vrata
• Snāna
• Bhāryā
• Varṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Householder life should be entered in an orderly dharmic way—after completing study and vows, under the guru’s guidance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it sits within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Concluding bath (snāna) after study, completion of vrata and Vedic learning, and marriage undertaken with the guru’s permission.