Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दूरतो वर्जयेदेषा समाजोत्सवदर्शनम् । न गच्छेत्तीर्थयात्रादि विवाहप्रेक्षणादिषु

Transliteration

dūrato varjayedeṣā samājotsavadarśanam | na gacchettīrthayātrādi vivāhaprekṣaṇādiṣu

Translation

นางพึงเว้นเสียแต่ไกลจากการไปชมชุมนุมชนและมหรสพงานเทศกาลทั้งหลาย ไม่พึงไปจาริกแสวงบุญยังทีรถะและกิจอื่นใด และไม่พึงไปชมพิธีวิวาห์หรือการแสดงทำนองนั้น

Word by Word

• dūrataḥ: from a distance
• dūrataḥ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūrataḥ (अव्यय; dūra-प्रातिपदिक + -taḥ)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अपादानार्थक/देशवाचक-क्रियाविशेषणम् (ablatival adverb: ‘from afar’)

• varjayet: she should avoid
• varjayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• eṣā: she/this woman
• eṣā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• samāja-utsava-darśanam: seeing social festivals/gatherings
• samāja-utsava-darśanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samāja (प्रातिपदिक) + utsava (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (samāja-utsava; darśana = ‘seeing’); कर्म (acc. sg.)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्ययम्

• gacchet: she should go
• gacchet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tīrtha-yātrā-ādi: pilgrimages and the like
• tīrtha-yātrā-ādi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + yātrā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः; ‘ādi’ = ‘etc.’; कर्म (acc. sg.)

• vivāha-prekṣaṇa-ādiṣu: in wedding-viewings and the like (occasions)
• vivāha-prekṣaṇa-ādiṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivāha (प्रातिपदिक) + prekṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः; अधिकरणम् (loc. pl.)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Kāśī street-festival with banners and drums seen from afar; the woman remains within the threshold of the home, turning away from the crowd, emphasizing restraint and inwardness.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding attention and reputation through restraint—avoiding distractions that can weaken discipline and household dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

While no single tīrtha is named, the instruction occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework that extols disciplined living in the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) is referenced, here restricted as part of a discipline of conduct.