Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

पुरश्चरणमेवैतद्यदस्यैव विसर्जनम् । सुश्लाघ्यजन्मया तावत्प्राणितव्यं सुयोषिता । यावज्जीवितनाथस्याश्रवणीया विगर्हणा

Transliteration

puraścaraṇamevaitadyadasyaiva visarjanam | suślāghyajanmayā tāvatprāṇitavyaṃ suyoṣitā | yāvajjīvitanāthasyāśravaṇīyā vigarhaṇā

Translation

Dies allein ist die rechte Übung (puraścaraṇa): das Aufgeben eben dieses Leibes. Eine tugendhafte Frau, von lobwürdiger Herkunft, soll nur so lange leben, wie sie nicht gezwungen ist, die Schmach über den Herrn ihres Lebens zu hören, solange er noch lebt.

Word by Word

• puraścaraṇam: puraścaraṇa (preparatory rite/penance)
• puraścaraṇam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puras (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास (puras + caraṇam → ‘preliminary rite/penance’)

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc singular)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• asya: of this
• asya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (genitive singular)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphasis)

• visarjanam: abandoning, giving up
• visarjanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: visarjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nom/acc singular)

• suślāghya-janmayā: by/with (a woman) of very praiseworthy birth
• suślāghya-janmayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + ślāghya (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (suślāghyam janma यस्याः सा—‘of highly praiseworthy birth’; here instr. fem. sg qualifying implied ‘suyoṣitā’)

• tāvat: so long; to that extent
• tāvat: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of extent)

• prāṇitavyam: should be lived (one must live)
• prāṇitavyam: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √prāṇ (प्राण् धातु) + तव्यत् (tavya)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (ought to be lived/sustained)

• suyoṣitā: a good woman
• suyoṣitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su + yoṣit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सु + योषित् = ‘good woman’)

• yāvat: until; as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधिवाचक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• jīvita-nāthasya: of the lord of (her) life (husband)
• jīvita-nāthasya: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक) + nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (jīvitasya nāthaḥ—‘lord of life’, i.e., husband)

• aśravaṇīyā: not fit to be heard
• aśravaṇīyā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + śravaṇīya (प्रातिपदिक; √śru + अनीय)
• Form: अनीय-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; नञ्-निषेध (not to be heard)

• vigarhaṇā: reproach, blame
• vigarhaṇā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vi + √garh (गर्ह् धातु) + युच्/अन (प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine, nominative singular)

Speaker

Unknown from snippet (same narrative speaker)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and Ṛṣis (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A decisive declaration: the woman frames self-relinquishment as the only ‘observance’; her posture is upright, eyes fierce with resolve, while attendants recoil in sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Puraścaraṇa
• Dharma of a virtuous wife (pativratā ideal)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse frames extreme renunciation as a dharma-response to unbearable dishonor, stressing the sanctity of one’s lord and the gravity of public reproach.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the teaching is delivered within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It uses the term “puraścaraṇa” in a radical sense—interpreting it here as renouncing the body—rather than detailing japa, homa, or vrata steps.