Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

हृताधिकारां मलिनां पिंडमात्रोपजीविनीम् । परिभूतामधःशय्यां वासयेद्व्यभिचारिणीम्

Transliteration

hṛtādhikārāṃ malināṃ piṃḍamātropajīvinīm | paribhūtāmadhaḥśayyāṃ vāsayedvyabhicāriṇīm

Translation

La femme adultère doit être contrainte de vivre privée de ses droits, dans un état d’abaissement, ne subsistant que de maigres bouchées ; déshonorée, qu’on la fasse coucher sur une couche basse.

Word by Word

• हृत-अधिकाराम्: one whose authority/rights are taken away
• हृत-अधिकाराम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; हृ धातु, क्त) + अधिकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हृतः अधिकारः यस्याः सा) — कर्मणि क्त-विशेषण

• मलिनाम्: impure/soiled
• मलिनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• पिण्ड-मात्र-उपजीविनीम्: living only on morsels/alms
• पिण्ड-मात्र-उपजीविनीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उपजीविनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-श्रृङ्खला (पिण्डमात्रेण उपजीविनी)

• परिभूताम्: insulted/humiliated
• परिभूताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अधः-शय्याम्: on a low bed
• अधः-शय्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधः (अव्यय) + शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावः (अधः शय्या = low bed)

• वासयेत्: should make (her) dwell / should keep
• वासयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वास् (धातु; causative)
• Form: णिजन्त (causative) धातु-प्रयोग; विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• व्यभिचारिणीम्: an adulteress
• व्यभिचारिणीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यभिचारिणी (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-कर्तृ from व्यभि + चर् धातु, णिनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral scene: an adulterous woman sits apart, without ornaments, given only simple food; she rests on a low bed; elders of the household look on with stern restraint—depicting loss of adhikāra and social dishonor.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It portrays adultery as a serious breach of dharma, warranting corrective social and household consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced directly; the verse functions as dharma-nīti within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No rite is prescribed; it lays down a disciplinary measure (restriction of privileges and austere living).