Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

असवर्णस्त्वेष विधिः स्मृतो दृष्टश्च वेदने । सवर्णाभिस्तु सर्वाभिः पाणिर्ग्राह्यस्त्वयं विधिः

Transliteration

asavarṇastveṣa vidhiḥ smṛto dṛṣṭaśca vedane | savarṇābhistu sarvābhiḥ pāṇirgrāhyastvayaṃ vidhiḥ

Translation

此等仪轨，为异种姓结合所传所见，亦见于权威教诲之中。然而对同种姓的一切女子，此处所定之法唯取其手，方为正仪。

Word by Word

• असवर्णः: of different varṇa
• असवर्णः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying विधिः)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/अवधानार्थक-निपात

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विधिः: rule, injunction
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्मृतः: is remembered/recorded
• स्मृतः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• दृष्टः: is seen/observed
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• वेदने: in the Veda/vedic teaching
• वेदने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• सवर्णाभिः: by/with same-varṇa (women)
• सवर्णाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (with same-varṇa women)

• तु: however
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात

• सर्वाभिः: by/with all
• सर्वाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पाणिः: hand (in marriage: hand-taking)
• पाणिः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ग्राह्यः: should be taken
• ग्राह्यः: Kriya (Predicative obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) → ग्राह्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधानार्थक-निपात

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विधिः: rule
• विधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher points to a palm-leaf manuscript labeled ‘Smṛti’ and ‘Veda’; two parallel wedding scenes: savarṇa couple with hand-taking only, and asavarṇa couple with symbolic token gesture, emphasizing ‘vidhi-bheda’.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Agastya
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is conveyed as a rule-governed sacrament; the text differentiates exceptional procedures from the standard, emphasizing normative discipline in household rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Kāśī’s sacred discourse, but no particular tīrtha is singled out in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It reaffirms pāṇigrahaṇa (taking the bride’s hand) as the proper procedure for same-varṇa marriages, while noting alternate procedure for inter-varṇa unions.