Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

केशसंस्कारकबरी करकर्णादिभूषणम् । भर्त्तुरायुष्यमिच्छंती दूरये न्न पतिव्रता

Transliteration

keśasaṃskārakabarī karakarṇādibhūṣaṇam | bhartturāyuṣyamicchaṃtī dūraye nna pativratā

Translation

L’épouse dévouée, désirant la longue vie de son époux, ne délaisse ni l’ornement de ses cheveux et de sa tresse, ni les parures des mains, des oreilles et autres.

Word by Word

• केशसंस्कारकबरी: hair-arrangement/braid (done as hair-rite)
• केशसंस्कारकबरी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + कबरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (केशानां संस्कारः—केशसंस्कारः; केशसंस्कारस्य कबरी)

• करकर्णादिभूषणम्: ornament(s) for hands, ears, etc.
• करकर्णादिभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-तत्पुरुष (करकर्णादीनां भूषणम्)

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• भर्तुः: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• आयुष्यम्: long life/welfare (longevity)
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इच्छन्ती: desiring
• इच्छन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (desiring)

• दूरयेत्: should keep away/avoid
• दूरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दूरय् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतिव्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः/या) — व्यवहारतः ‘पतिव्रता’ इति संज्ञा

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pativratā in Kāśī braids her hair (kabarī), applies collyrium, and wears hand and ear ornaments, while a small Śiva-liṅga shrine and Gaṅgā light shimmer in the background—symbolizing prayer for the husband’s long life.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Pativratā-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It links everyday discipline and auspicious conduct to a prayerful intention for the spouse’s welfare within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma narrative, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No pilgrimage rite is given; it prescribes maintaining auspicious grooming and ornaments as part of pativratā observance.