Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

स्त्रीणां हि परमश्चैको नियमः समुदाहृतः । अभ्यर्च्य चरणौ भतुर्भो क्तव्यं कृतनिश्चया

Transliteration

strīṇāṃ hi paramaścaiko niyamaḥ samudāhṛtaḥ | abhyarcya caraṇau bhaturbho ktavyaṃ kṛtaniścayā

Translation

സ്ത്രീകൾക്കായി ഒരു പരമനിയമം പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു—ദൃഢനിശ്ചയത്തോടെ ഭർത്താവിന്റെ പാദങ്ങൾ പൂജിച്ച് പിന്നെ മാത്രമേ ആഹാരം സ്വീകരിക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• स्त्रीणाम्: of women
• स्त्रीणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एकः: one
• एकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नियमः: rule, observance
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• समुदाहृतः: has been declared
• समुदाहृतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-आ-हृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• अभ्यर्च्य: having worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्य: Kriyā (Adverbial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√अर्च् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• चरणौ: (his) two feet
• चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• भर्तुः: of the husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• भोक्तव्यम्: should be eaten/partaken
• भोक्तव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (ought to be done)

• कृतनिश्चया: having made a firm resolve
• कृतनिश्चया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (√कृ + क्त, कृदन्त) + निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कृतः निश्चयः यस्याः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa conveying dharma-teaching)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet household interior: a woman with composed posture bows to her husband’s feet near the threshold or dining space; lamps, water-pot, and simple meal setting evoke daily dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches disciplined reverence within household life—humility, service, and steadiness of resolve as dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a general dharma-instruction within Dharmāraṇya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A daily conduct rule: honoring (abhyarcya) the husband’s feet before eating.