Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

तदभ्यर्च्याः सुवासिन्यो भूषणाच्छादनाशनैः । भूतिकामैर्नरैर्नित्यं सत्कारेषूत्सवेषु च

Transliteration

tadabhyarcyāḥ suvāsinyo bhūṣaṇācchādanāśanaiḥ | bhūtikāmairnarairnityaṃ satkāreṣūtsaveṣu ca

Translation

Darum sollen verheiratete Frauen (suvāsinī) mit Schmuck, Kleidung und Speise geehrt werden — stets von Männern, die Gedeihen begehren, besonders bei Gastfreundschaft und an Festtagen.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (it/this)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक

• अभ्यर्च्याः: to be worshipped / should be honored
• अभ्यर्च्याः: Vidhेय (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि√अर्च् (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्य (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘पूजनीयाः/अभ्यर्चनीयाः’

• सुवासिन्यः: well-dressed women / auspiciously attired women
• सुवासिन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘सु’ उपसर्गपूर्वक-विशेषणसमास

• भूषण: ornament(s)
• भूषण: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• आच्छादन: covering / clothing
• आच्छादन: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ√छद् (धातु) + अन (कृत्) → आच्छादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); कृतान्त-नाम

• अशनैः: with food(s)
• अशनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• भूषण-आच्छादन-अशनैः: with ornaments, clothing, and food
• भूषण-आच्छादन-अशनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूषण + आच्छादन + अशन (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; साधन-निर्देश

• भूति: prosperity / welfare
• भूति: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• कामैः: desirous (of)
• कामैः: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; ‘काम’ = इच्छुक (desirous)

• भूतिकामैः: by men desiring prosperity
• भूतिकामैः: Karana/Agent-instrumental (कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूति + काम (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भूतेः कामः), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• नित्यं: always
• नित्यं: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• सत्कारेषु: in honors / in respectful receptions
• सत्कारेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• उत्सवेषु: in festivals
• उत्सवेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्सव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/संबन्ध-बोधक conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general dharma within the kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī household courtyard prepared for a festival: men respectfully offering garments, ornaments, and food to suvāsinīs seated on decorated mats; lamps, flowers, and a sense of auspicious domestic order.

Characters & Entities

• Suvāsinī (married women)
• Satkāra (hospitality)
• Utsava (festival)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prosperity and auspiciousness are supported by respectful honoring of women through food, clothing, and gifts, especially in sacred social duties like hospitality and festivals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where dharma is taught as part of Kāśī’s sanctifying greatness.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Satkāra/utsava-based giving: offering ornaments, garments, and भोजन (food) to suvāsinīs as a meritorious act.