Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
मुखप्रेक्षः सदा भर्त्ता येन स्त्रीणां प्रजायते । नापमानं करोत्येव दुरुक्तवचनैः क्वचित्
mukhaprekṣaḥ sadā bharttā yena strīṇāṃ prajāyate | nāpamānaṃ karotyeva duruktavacanaiḥ kvacit
L’époux qui, toujours, regarde avec attention et bienveillance devient ainsi cher aux femmes ; et jamais, en aucun temps, il ne les humilie par des paroles dures et malveillantes.
Narrative voice (contextual; speaker not explicit in this verse)
Scene: A domestic scene: a husband stands or sits facing his wife with gentle gaze, open posture, and restrained speech; the wife appears reassured; the setting is calm and dignified.
FAQs
Dharma in household life begins with restraint of speech: affection is sustained by respect, not by harsh words.
This verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya stream of Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but no specific tīrtha is named in this line.
No ritual is prescribed here; it teaches ethical discipline (non-insulting speech) as gṛhastha-dharma.