Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

केशसंस्कारकबरी करकर्णादिभूषणम् । भर्त्तुरायुष्यमिच्छंती दूरये न्न पतिव्रता

Transliteration

keśasaṃskārakabarī karakarṇādibhūṣaṇam | bhartturāyuṣyamicchaṃtī dūraye nna pativratā

Translation

ഭർത്താവിന്റെ ദീർഘായുസ്സ് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന പതിവ്രത സ്ത്രീ മുടിയുടെ സംസ്കാരവും ചുരുളും, കൈ-ചെവി മുതലായ ആഭരണങ്ങളും ഒരിക്കലും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് അകറ്റുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• केशसंस्कारकबरी: hair-arrangement/braid (done as hair-rite)
• केशसंस्कारकबरी: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केश (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्कार (प्रातिपदिक) + कबरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (केशानां संस्कारः—केशसंस्कारः; केशसंस्कारस्य कबरी)

• करकर्णादिभूषणम्: ornament(s) for hands, ears, etc.
• करकर्णादिभूषणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + भूषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार-तत्पुरुष (करकर्णादीनां भूषणम्)

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

• आयुष्यम्: long life/welfare (longevity)
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• इच्छन्ती: desiring
• इच्छन्ती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (desiring)

• दूरयेत्: should keep away/avoid
• दूरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दूरय् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पतिव्रता: a devoted wife
• पतिव्रता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पतिव्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पतेः व्रतम् यस्याः/या) — व्यवहारतः ‘पतिव्रता’ इति संज्ञा

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pativratā in Kāśī braids her hair (kabarī), applies collyrium, and wears hand and ear ornaments, while a small Śiva-liṅga shrine and Gaṅgā light shimmer in the background—symbolizing prayer for the husband’s long life.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Pativratā-dharma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It links everyday discipline and auspicious conduct to a prayerful intention for the spouse’s welfare within dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s Kāśī-centered dharma narrative, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No pilgrimage rite is given; it prescribes maintaining auspicious grooming and ornaments as part of pativratā observance.