Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

नारीणां भर्तृपद् योरर्चनं तद्वचःश्रुतिः । समर्चयंति सततमनुजा निजमग्रजम्

Transliteration

nārīṇāṃ bhartṛpad yorarcanaṃ tadvacaḥśrutiḥ | samarcayaṃti satatamanujā nijamagrajam

Translation

Für Frauen gilt als Dharma die Verehrung der Füße des Gatten und das achtsame Hören auf seine Worte. Ebenso ehren die jüngeren Brüder unablässig ihren älteren Bruder.

Word by Word

• nārīṇām: of women
• nārīṇām: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• bhartṛ-padayoḥ: of the husband's feet
• bhartṛ-padayoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive or 7th/Locative), द्विवचन; अत्र षष्ठी (of the husband's two feet)

• arcanam: worship
• arcanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: arcana (प्रातिपदिक) < √arc (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• vacaḥ-śrutiḥ: hearing/obedience to (his) words
• vacaḥ-śrutiḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक) + śruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• samarcayanti: they worship/honor
• samarcayanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam√arc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• satatam: always
• satatam: Kāla/Prakāra (Time/Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satatam (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: always/constantly)

• anujāḥ: younger brothers/younger ones
• anujāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anuja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• nijam: their own
• nijam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying agrajam)

• agrajam: elder brother
• agrajam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agraja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim-audience / ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A domestic courtyard: a wife offers flowers and water at her husband’s feet as a symbol of respect; nearby, a younger brother bows to an elder brother; the atmosphere is calm, devotional, and orderly.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Social harmony arises from reverence, duty, and honoring rightful relationships within the household and family.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implicitly glorified as a place where dharma is lived through orderly family conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external rite; it prescribes relational dharma—reverent service and attentive listening within family roles.