Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

सुखसुप्तं सुखासीनं रममाणं यदृच्छया । आंतरेष्वपि कार्येषु पतिं नोत्थापयेत्क्वचित्

Transliteration

sukhasuptaṃ sukhāsīnaṃ ramamāṇaṃ yadṛcchayā | āṃtareṣvapi kāryeṣu patiṃ notthāpayetkvacit

Translation

If her husband is sleeping comfortably, seated at ease, or enjoying himself as he pleases, she should never rouse him—even for intervening tasks.

Word by Word

• sukha-suptam: sleeping comfortably
• sukha-suptam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + supta (कृदन्त, √svap धातु)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘supta’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc. sg.)

• sukha-āsīnam: sitting comfortably
• sukha-āsīnam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsīna (कृदन्त, √ās धातु)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समासः; वर्तमानकृदन्त/कृदन्त-विशेषण ‘āsīna’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc. sg.)

• ramamāṇam: enjoying/playing
• ramamāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramamāṇa (कृदन्त, √ram धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (acc. sg.)

• yadṛcchayā: by chance; spontaneously
• yadṛcchayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yadṛcchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (instr. sg. used adverbially)

• āntareṣu: in internal/private
• āntareṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āntara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (loc. pl.)

• api: even; also
• api: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्ययम् (particle: ‘also/even’)

• kāryeṣu: in tasks/affairs
• kāryeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; अधिकरणम् (loc. pl.)

• patim: husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (acc. sg.)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• utthāpayet: she should rouse/raise
• utthāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + ut- (उपसर्ग) + ṇic (णिजन्त)
• Form: णिजन्त-धातु (utthāpaya-); विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kvacit: at any time
• kvacit: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (indefinite adverb: ‘ever/at any time’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet chamber: husband resting on a low cot, wife moving softly with a lamp, postponing chores; the atmosphere is serene, with Kāśī’s night stillness implied.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consideration and gentleness—service is expressed through protecting another’s peace and avoiding needless disturbance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharma portion; it indirectly supports the mahatmya by prescribing sanctified domestic conduct in Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it is a behavioral niyama (conduct rule) about not waking the husband.