Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 8
भर्तव्या एव यस्माच्च तस्माद्भार्येति सा स्मृता । सा एव गृहमुक्तं च गृहीणी सा ततः स्मृता
bhartavyā eva yasmācca tasmādbhāryeti sā smṛtā | sā eva gṛhamuktaṃ ca gṛhīṇī sā tataḥ smṛtā
Because she is indeed to be maintained and supported by the husband, she is remembered as “bhāryā” (wife). And since she is the very one who is called the “house” itself, she is therefore remembered as “gṛhiṇī” (lady of the household).
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative frame)
Scene: The ‘house’ visualized as a living mandala centered on the gṛhiṇī: she holds a lamp (order), a grain pot (sustenance), and a water vessel (purity); the husband offers a shawl/ornament symbolizing support and responsibility.
FAQs
Householder dharma is upheld by honoring and supporting the wife, who is regarded as the very foundation of the home.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on gṛhastha-dharma within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa discourse.
No vrata or ritual is prescribed here; the instruction is ethical—maintenance and honor of the wife.