Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

शीलभंगेन नारीणां भर्ताधर्मपरोपि हि । पतेद्दुःखार्जितात्स्वर्गाच्छीलं रक्ष्यं ततः स्त्रिया

Transliteration

śīlabhaṃgena nārīṇāṃ bhartādharmaparopi hi | patedduḥkhārjitātsvargācchīlaṃ rakṣyaṃ tataḥ striyā

Translation

Par la rupture de la chasteté d’une femme, même son époux—fût-il voué au dharma—peut choir du ciel acquis au prix de peines; aussi la femme doit-elle préserver sa vertu.

Word by Word

• शील-भंगेन: by the breaking of chastity/conduct
• शील-भंगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक) + भंग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular) — करण/निमित्तार्थे (by/through)

• नारीणाम्: of women
• नारीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Plural)

• भर्ता: the husband
• भर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• धर्म-परः: devoted to dharma
• धर्म-परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of भर्ता)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — ‘even/also’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) — कारण/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• पतेत्: would fall
• पतेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd person, Singular)

• दुःख-आर्जितात्: earned with hardship
• दुःख-आर्जितात्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + आर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √अर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Ablative, Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifier of स्वर्गात्)

• स्वर्गात्: from heaven
• स्वर्गात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Ablative, Singular) — अपादान (from)

• शीलम्: chastity; good conduct
• शीलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• रक्ष्यम्: should be protected
• रक्ष्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (यत्) — भाव्य/कर्तव्य (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular) — विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate: ‘to be protected’)

• ततः: therefore
• ततः: Sambandha (Logical connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) — तस्मात्/अतः (therefore/from that)

• स्त्रिया: by a woman
• स्त्रिया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular) — कर्तृकरण-भावे (agent in passive/gerundive sense: ‘by a woman’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic fall from a radiant svarga staircase caused by a crack labeled ‘śīla-bhaṅga’; a household couple shown with dharma as a protective aura that fractures when virtue is broken.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Household dharma is interlinked; safeguarding virtue (śīla) preserves spiritual merit and prevents karmic downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching, but this verse does not praise a particular tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a dharmic injunction to protect śīla.