Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

गृहेगृहे न किं नार्यो रूपलावण्यगर्विताः । परं विश्वेशभक्त्यैव लभ्यते स्त्री पतिव्रता

Transliteration

gṛhegṛhe na kiṃ nāryo rūpalāvaṇyagarvitāḥ | paraṃ viśveśabhaktyaiva labhyate strī pativratā

Translation

Are there not women in every house, proud of beauty and charm? Yet a true pativratā is gained only through devotion to Viśveśa (Śiva), and not otherwise.

Word by Word

• gṛhe: in a house
• gṛhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (गृह प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• gṛhe: in (each) house
• gṛhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (गृह प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्तिः (gṛhe-gṛhe = in every house)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (न अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• kim: what? / indeed?
• kim: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (किम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक/अनुशयार्थक निपात (here: rhetorical ‘indeed?’)

• nāryaḥ: women
• nāryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārī (नारी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचनम्

• rūpa-lāvaṇya-garvitāḥ: proud of beauty and charm
• rūpa-lāvaṇya-garvitāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rūpa (रूप) + lāvaṇya (लावण्य) + garvita (गर्वित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying nāryaḥ); समासः (रूपेण लावण्येन च गर्विताः)

• param: but / rather
• param: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: param (परम् अव्यय/विशेषण-रूप)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/अपवादार्थे (but/rather)

• viśveśa-bhaktyā: by devotion to Viśveśa (Śiva)
• viśveśa-bhaktyā: Karana/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśveśa (विश्वेश प्रातिपदिक) + bhakti (भक्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/हेतु), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वेशस्य भक्तिः)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (एव अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (only/indeed)

• labhyate: is obtained
• labhyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (लभ् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगार्थक (is obtained)

• strī: a woman
• strī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (स्त्री प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/उद्देश्य), एकवचनम्

• pativratā: devoted wife
• pativratā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pativratā (पतिव्रता प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (qualifying strī)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Viśveśa in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: women adorned and proud in household settings fade into the background, while a single humble devotee-woman stands before Viśveśa, her inner radiance emphasized over ornament.

Characters & Entities

• Viśveśa (Śiva of Kāśī)
• Pativratā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outer beauty is common, but inner virtue rooted in devotion to Viśveśa is rare and spiritually decisive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viśveśa (Kāśī Viśvanātha), the presiding Śiva of Varanasi, is directly invoked.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti to Viśveśa is emphasized as the means; no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna is detailed in this verse.