Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

बिभ्यत्पतिव्रतास्पर्शं कुरुते भानुमानपि । सोमो गंधवहश्चापि स्वपावित्र्याय नान्यथा

Transliteration

bibhyatpativratāsparśaṃ kurute bhānumānapi | somo gaṃdhavahaścāpi svapāvitryāya nānyathā

Translation

Selbst Sūrya, die Sonne, sucht in ehrfürchtigem Bangen die Berührung einer Pativratā. Ebenso Soma und Gandhavaha—allein zu ihrer eigenen Heiligung und aus keinem anderen Grund.

Word by Word

• bibhyat: fearing
• bibhyat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhī (भी धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle, शतृ), प्रथमा-एकवचनं, पुंलिङ्गे (agreeing with भानुमान्)

• pativratā-sparśam: the touch of a devoted wife
• pativratā-sparśam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pativratā (पतिव्रता प्रातिपदिक) + sparśa (स्पर्श प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पतिव्रतायाः स्पर्शः)

• kurute: does / performs
• kurute: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• bhānumān: the Sun
• bhānumān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhānumant (भानुमन्त् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

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

• somaḥ: the Moon (Soma)
• somaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: soma (सोम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचनम्

• gandha-vahaḥ: the wind (carrier of fragrance)
• gandha-vahaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (गन्ध प्रातिपदिक) + vaha (वह प्रातिपदिक/वह् धात्वर्थक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गन्धं वहति इति/गन्धस्य वहः)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (च अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अपि अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• sva-pāvitryāya: for (their) own purification
• sva-pāvitryāya: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (स्व प्रातिपदिक) + pāvitrya (पावित्र्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य पावित्र्यम्)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अन्यथा अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta Kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified Sun, Moon, and Wind approach a serene pativratā in Kāśī, hands folded, seeking her touch as a rite of sanctification; Viśveśa’s presence is implied as the source of her spiritual radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Bhānumān)
• Soma
• Vāyu (Gandhavaha)
• Pativratā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pativratā-dharma is portrayed as so spiritually potent that even cosmic deities seek it for purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Varanasi) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where dharma is praised as part of Kāśī-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse extols the purifying merit (pāvitrya) associated with pativratā virtue.