Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15
नापत्यं पाति नो माता न पिता नैव बांधवाः । पत्युश्चरणशुश्रूषा पायाद्वै केवलं स्त्रियम्
nāpatyaṃ pāti no mātā na pitā naiva bāṃdhavāḥ | patyuścaraṇaśuśrūṣā pāyādvai kevalaṃ striyam
Ni les enfants ne protègent, ni la mère, ni le père, ni les proches. Pour une femme, seul le service dévoué aux pieds de son époux devient vraiment sa sauvegarde.
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta Kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A solitary woman reflects on the unreliability of relatives; the image centers on her bowed posture, hands folded, contemplating the ideal of service at the husband’s feet as her only safeguard.
FAQs
It emphasizes traditional purāṇic strī-dharma: steadfast marital devotion is portrayed as a woman’s principal refuge amid worldly uncertainty.
The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this particular verse focuses on dharma rather than naming a tirtha.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse frames dharmic conduct (pati-sevā) as the protective discipline.