Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

भर्तरि प्रोषिते याश्च ब्रह्मचर्यव्रताः सदा । विप्लवं ते सकृद्दैवात्ता एता वामलोचनाः

Transliteration

bhartari proṣite yāśca brahmacaryavratāḥ sadā | viplavaṃ te sakṛddaivāttā etā vāmalocanāḥ

Translation

ഭർത്താവ് പ്രോഷിതനായിരിക്കെ സദാ ബ്രഹ്മചര്യവ്രതത്തിൽ നിലകൊണ്ടവർ ദൈവവശാൽ ഒരിക്കൽ സ്ഖലിച്ചു; അതിനാൽ അവർ ഈ വാമലോചനമാരായി മാറി।

Word by Word

• भर्तरि: when/while the husband (is)
• भर्तरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्रोषिते: being away (having gone abroad)
• प्रोषिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वस् (धातु) / प्रोषित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle) from प्र+वस् (to dwell away); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• याः: who
• याः: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (who)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (and)

• ब्रह्मचर्यव्रताः: (those) observing the vow of celibacy
• ब्रह्मचर्यव्रताः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मचर्यस्य व्रतम्; बहुवचनप्रयोगे व्रतधारिण्यः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, नित्यत्ववाचक (always)

• विप्लवम्: a lapse/fall
• विप्लवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (fall/dereliction)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (they)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (once)

• दैवात्: from fate/by chance
• दैवात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/हेतु-अपादान), एकवचन; (by fate)

• ताः: those (women)
• ताः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वामलोचनाः: beautiful-eyed women
• वामलोचनाः: Karta (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (वामे लोचने यस्याः/यासां = fair/beautiful-eyed); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lonely woman awaiting her absent husband, maintaining austerity; a moment of daiva-induced lapse is symbolized by a sudden storm or eclipse; afterward, her eyes are described as ‘vāmalochanāḥ’—beautiful yet marked by destiny.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmacarya
• Daiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even disciplined vows can be tested; Purāṇic teaching frames moral lapses within karma and daiva, urging steadiness and repentance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa, though this verse is primarily moral-narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse references brahmacarya-vrata (a vow of continence) without detailing a specific ritual procedure.