Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

शममेनो व्रजेदेवं बैजं गर्भजमवे च । स्त्रीणामेताः क्रियास्तूष्णीं पाणिग्राहस्तु मंत्रवान्

Transliteration

śamameno vrajedevaṃ baijaṃ garbhajamave ca | strīṇāmetāḥ kriyāstūṣṇīṃ pāṇigrāhastu maṃtravān

Translation

Thus the inherited and womb-born impurities are pacified and depart. For women these rites are performed in silence, but the rite of taking the hand in marriage (pāṇigraha) is performed with mantras.

Word by Word

• śamam: pacification/quieting
• śamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• enaḥ: sin/impurity
• enaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: enas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• vrajet: should proceed/should be done
• vrajet: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vraj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• evam: thus/in this way
• evam: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• baijam: seed-born (paternal)
• baijam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: baija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• garbha-jam: womb-born (maternal)
• garbha-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garbha (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• ave: in a sheep (as an offering/animal context)
• ave: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• strīṇām: of women
• strīṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• kriyāḥ: rites
• kriyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tūṣṇīm: silently
• tūṣṇīm: Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tūṣṇīm (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (adverb: silently)

• pāṇi-grāhaḥ: hand-taking (marriage rite)
• pāṇi-grāhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक) + grāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• tu: but
• tu: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेष-अव्यय (but/however)

• mantra-vān: with mantras
• mantra-vān: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: तद्धितान्त (possessive), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (contextual continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic purification: a priest performs saṃskāra rites as dark wisps (doṣas) dissolve; a parallel scene shows a wedding pāṇigraha with mantras, sacred fire, and the couple’s joined hands.

Characters & Entities

• Pāṇigraha (marriage rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Saṃskāras are portrayed as purificatory, reducing inherited and embodied impurities and establishing dharmic life-stages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is part of Kāśī’s Kāśīkhaṇḍa teaching on dharma; no specific tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Women’s rites are indicated as performed silently, while the marriage hand-taking (pāṇigraha) is explicitly mantra-accompanied.