Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

विष्णोस्तु पूजनं कार्यं पति बुद्ध्या न चान्यथा । पतिमेव सदा ध्यायेद्विष्णुरूपधरं हरिम्

Transliteration

viṣṇostu pūjanaṃ kāryaṃ pati buddhyā na cānyathā | patimeva sadā dhyāyedviṣṇurūpadharaṃ harim

Translation

Pemujaan kepada Viṣṇu hendaknya dilakukan dengan pemahaman bahwa Dia adalah (bagaikan) suami—bukan dengan cara lain. Hendaknya senantiasa bermeditasi pada suami semata, yakni Hari yang mengenakan wujud Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक/विरोधार्थक-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• pūjanaṃ: worship
• pūjanaṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjana (प्रातिपदिक; pūj-धातोः ल्युट्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kāryaṃ: should be done
• kāryaṃ: Kriya-visheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• pati-buddhyā: with the understanding (that he is) the husband
• pati-buddhyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पतिविषया बुद्धिः)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• anyathā: otherwise
• anyathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• patim: the husband
• patim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• sadā: always
• sadā: Adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (always)

• dhyāyet: should meditate upon
• dhyāyet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (ध्यै-धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• viṣṇu-rūpa-dharaṃ: bearing the form of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇu-rūpa-dharaṃ: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक; धृ-धातोः अच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः रूपं धरति इति)

• harim: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• harim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A widow performs Viṣṇu pūjā before a small image of Hari; in her meditation, the husband’s form subtly merges into a four-armed Viṣṇu vision—conch, discus, mace, lotus—signifying transmutation of personal bond into divine devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Viṣṇu
• Hari
• Kāśī (implied context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches devotional worship of Viṣṇu and constant contemplative remembrance, framed through a relational vow of fidelity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī provides the larger sacred setting, but this verse is centered on Viṣṇu-upāsanā rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Viṣṇu-pūjā (worship of Viṣṇu) and dhyāna (meditation) upon Hari/Viṣṇu.