Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अन्या अपि हि याः सत्यः पातिव्रत्यपरायणाः । ता भर्तृचरणौ हित्वा किंचिदन्यन्न मन्वते

Transliteration

anyā api hi yāḥ satyaḥ pātivratyaparāyaṇāḥ | tā bhartṛcaraṇau hitvā kiṃcidanyanna manvate

Translation

دیگر وفادار پتنیوں نے بھی، جو پتی ورتا دھرم میں سراسر منہمک ہیں، شوہر کے قدموں کی پناہ لے کر پھر کسی اور بات کا خیال نہیں کرتیں۔

Word by Word

• anyāḥ: other (women)
• anyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)

• yāḥ: who/which
• yāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• satyāḥ: truthful
• satyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषण (qualifier)

• pātivratya-parāyaṇāḥ: devoted to wifely fidelity
• pātivratya-parāyaṇāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātivratya (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): पातिव्रत्ये परायणाः = devoted to wifely fidelity

• tāḥ: they (those women)
• tāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक, सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural), संकेत-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• bhartṛ-caraṇau: (their) husband's feet
• bhartṛ-caraṇau: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन (Dual); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भर्तुः चरणौ = husband's feet

• hitvā: having abandoned
• hitvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Gerundial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hā (धाातु/धातु: हा—त्यागे)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having abandoned)

• kiṃcit: anything/something
• kiṃcit: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/सर्वनाम-निपात)
• Form: अनिश्चित-परिमाणवाचक (indefinite), अव्ययप्रयोग (something/a little)

• anyat: other (thing)
• anyat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• manvate: they think/consider
• manvate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु: मन्—ज्ञाने/मनने)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue tradition, Skanda to Agastya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A quiet domestic tableau: devoted wives with lowered gaze, hands folded, seated near their husbands’ feet, conveying unwavering pativratā-niṣṭhā.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It upholds single-pointed commitment and loyalty as a dharmic ideal, portraying steadfastness as a spiritual strength.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it appears within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa’s broader sacred narrative setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is ethical instruction rather than ritual guidance.