Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

विधवा कबरीबंधो भर्तृबंधाय जायते । शिरसो वपनं तस्मात्कार्यं विधवया सदा

Transliteration

vidhavā kabarībaṃdho bhartṛbaṃdhāya jāyate | śiraso vapanaṃ tasmātkāryaṃ vidhavayā sadā

Translation

Pour une veuve, dit-on, nouer la chevelure devient un lien d’attache pour l’époux; c’est pourquoi la veuve doit toujours se raser la tête.

Word by Word

• विधवा: widow
• विधवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन

• कबरी-बंधः: hair-knot; binding of the braid
• कबरी-बंधः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa / Predicate nominal
• Type: Noun
• Root: कबरी (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कबरी-सम्बन्धी बन्धः)

• भर्तृ-बंधाय: for the husband’s bondage
• भर्तृ-बंधाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (भर्तुः बन्धः)

• जायते: arises; happens
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• शिरसः: of the head
• शिरसः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case/Genitive), एकवचन

• वपनम्: shaving
• वपनम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa / Subject complement
• Type: Noun
• Root: वपन (प्रातिपदिक; √वप् धातोः भाव/कर्मणि-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore; hence
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (कारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादानार्थक-प्रयोगः (hence/from that reason)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidheyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातोः कृत्य-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन; कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: ‘to be done’)

• विधवया: by a widow
• विधवया: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained domestic-ascetic scene in Kāśī: a widowed woman in plain white, seated near a small shrine, with a barber’s razor and water-pot symbolizing śauca and renunciation; distant ghāṭas and a hint of Viśvanātha’s spire.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents a rule of restraint and renunciation framed as benefiting the departed husband, emphasizing disciplined conduct as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on personal dharma rather than a named tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A widow is instructed to avoid hair-knot tying and to keep the head shaved.