Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

एकपत्नीव्रताः सर्वे पुमांसस्तस्य मंडले । नारीषु काचिन्नैवासीदपतिव्रतधर्मिणी

Transliteration

ekapatnīvratāḥ sarve pumāṃsastasya maṃḍale | nārīṣu kācinnaivāsīdapativratadharmiṇī

Translation

In his realm, all men kept the vow of one wife; and among the women, none was found who strayed from the dharma of fidelity to her husband.

Word by Word

• एक: one
• एक: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग), संख्यावाचक

• पत्नी: wife
• पत्नी: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• व्रताः: vowed / observers of a vow
• व्रताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषणवत् (vowed/observing a vow)

• एकपत्नीव्रताः: vowed to one wife (monogamous)
• एकपत्नीव्रताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक + पत्नी + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (एकपत्नी-व्रतं येषां ते)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पुमांसः: men
• पुमांसः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• मण्डले: in the realm/circle
• मण्डले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नारीषु: among women
• नारीषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• काचित्: any (woman)
• काचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite: 'some')

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• एव: at all / indeed
• एव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधारणार्थक (emphatic)

• आसीत्: was
• आसीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नैव: not at all
• नैव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातसमासवत्; संधिः: न+एव→नैव

• नैवासीद्: there was not at all
• नैवासीद्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नैव + आसीत् (पदसमूह)
• Form: सन्धिः: नैव+आसीत्→नैवासीद्

• अपति: without a husband
• अपति: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग); नञ्-भाव (a- + पति)

• व्रत: vow
• व्रत: —
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• धर्मिणी: a woman observing the duty
• धर्मिणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (one who has/observes dharma)

• अपतिव्रतधर्मिणी: one who observed the vow of being without a husband
• अपतिव्रतधर्मिणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपति + व्रत + धर्मिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अपतिव्रतस्य धर्मिणी)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A peaceful cityscape of the king’s realm: couples walking with dignity, households performing evening lamps, no scenes of vice; the atmosphere is orderly and pure.

Characters & Entities

• Ruler (implied Ripuṃjaya)
• Men of the realm
• Women of the realm

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A dharmic society is sustained by self-restraint and fidelity within gṛhastha-dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; it describes dharma prevailing within the Kāśī narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse highlights vows/ethical observances (ekapatnī-vrata, pativratā-dharma), not a ceremonial rite.