Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

विष्णोः संपूजनं कार्यं पतिबुद्ध्या न चान्यथा । पतिमेव सदा ध्यायेद्विष्णुरूपधरं हरिम्

Transliteration

viṣṇoḥ saṃpūjanaṃ kāryaṃ patibuddhyā na cānyathā | patimeva sadā dhyāyedviṣṇurūpadharaṃ harim

Translation

One should worship Viṣṇu with the understanding that He is one’s Lord and husband (pati), and not otherwise. One should ever meditate upon one’s husband as Hari, the bearer of Viṣṇu’s form.

Word by Word

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• सम्पूजनम्: worship (complete worship)
• सम्पूजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम्पूजन (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातु, कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be done)

• पति-बुद्ध्या: with the understanding (that he is) one’s husband
• पति-बुद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; ‘पतौ बुद्धिः’ इति भावे—हेतौ/प्रकारे (as the attitude/understanding)

• न: not
• न: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• पतिम्: the husband
• पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate upon
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विष्णु-रूप-धरम्: bearing the form of Viṣṇu
• विष्णु-रूप-धरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + धर (प्रातिपदिक; √धृ धातु, कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (one who bears the form of Viṣṇu)

• हरिम्: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Deductive: a Purāṇic narrator/teacher within Brahmakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Viṣṇu shrine in a home: the devotee offers flowers and lamp to Viṣṇu while simultaneously visualizing the husband with a subtle Viṣṇu aura (śaṅkha-cakra motifs faintly overlaying his form).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Hari

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion is to be made single-minded: worship Viṣṇu wholeheartedly and cultivate a sacred vision of dharma within household relationships.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse teaches devotional orientation (bhāva) as a form of lived dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform complete worship (saṃpūjana) of Viṣṇu, and maintain continual meditation (dhyāna) with a Viṣṇu-centered attitude.