Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15
नापत्यं पाति नो माता न पिता नैव बांधवाः । पत्युश्चरणशुश्रूषा पायाद्वै केवलं स्त्रियम्
nāpatyaṃ pāti no mātā na pitā naiva bāṃdhavāḥ | patyuścaraṇaśuśrūṣā pāyādvai kevalaṃ striyam
సంతానం కాదు, తల్లి కాదు, తండ్రి కాదు, బంధువులూ కాదు—ఎవరూ రక్షించరు. స్త్రీకి నిజంగా రక్షణగా నిలిచేది భర్త పాదసేవ మాత్రమే.
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta Kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A solitary woman reflects on the unreliability of relatives; the image centers on her bowed posture, hands folded, contemplating the ideal of service at the husband’s feet as her only safeguard.
FAQs
It emphasizes traditional purāṇic strī-dharma: steadfast marital devotion is portrayed as a woman’s principal refuge amid worldly uncertainty.
The broader frame is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this particular verse focuses on dharma rather than naming a tirtha.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse frames dharmic conduct (pati-sevā) as the protective discipline.