Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19
न स्वाहा न स्वधा चैव तथा चैवाप्यरुंधती । इन्द्राणी देवपत्न्योऽन्याः कथमेकाकिनी व्रजे
na svāhā na svadhā caiva tathā caivāpyaruṃdhatī | indrāṇī devapatnyo'nyāḥ kathamekākinī vraje
“Svāhā tidak ada, Svadhā pun tidak; demikian pula Arundhatī. Indrāṇī dan para istri para dewa lainnya juga tiada—bagaimana mungkin aku pergi ke sana seorang diri?”
Sāvitrī
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: (implicit)
Scene: Sāvitrī lists absent divine women—Svāhā, Svadhā, Arundhatī, Indrāṇī—questioning how she can go alone; the scene conveys a threshold moment before departure, with empty places for companions.
FAQs
Dharma values propriety and auspicious companionship—ritual participation is not merely personal but embedded in sacred social order.
The concern arises in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra yajña setting, underscoring the sanctity and formality expected at that holy venue.
Implied ritual etiquette: participation alongside appropriate divine/auspicious feminine presences (devapatnīs) rather than going alone.