Skandapurana 4.4.16.6

4.4.16.6

vidhavā kabarībaṃdho bhartṛbaṃdhāya jāyate ..
śiraso vapanaṃ tasmātkāryaṃ vidhavayā sadā .. 74 ..
ekāhāraḥ sadā kāryo na dvitīyaṃ kadācana ..
trirātraṃ paṃcarātraṃ vā pakṣavratamathāpi vā .. 75 ..
māsopavāsaṃ vā kuryāccāṃdrāyaṇamathāpi vā ..
kṛcchraṃ varākaṃ vā kuryāttaptakṛcchramathāpi vā .. 76 ..
yavānnairvā phalāhāraiḥ śākāhāraiḥ payovrataiḥ ..
prāṇayātrāṃ prakurvīta yāvatprāṇaḥ svayaṃ vrajet .. 77 ..
paryaṃkaśāyinī nārī vi dhavā pātayetpatim ..
tasmādbhūśayanaṃ kāryaṃ patisaukhyasamīhayā .. 78 ..
na cāṃgodvartanaṃ kāryaṃ striyā vidhavayā kvacit ..
gaṃdhadravyasya saṃyogo naiva kāryastayā punaḥ .. 79 ..
tarpaṇaṃ pratyahaṃ kāryaṃ bhartuḥ kuśatilodakaiḥ ..
tatpitustatpituścāpi nāmagotrādipūrvakama .. 4.1.4.80 ..
viṣṇostu pūjanaṃ kāryaṃ pati buddhyā na cānyathā ..
patimeva sadā dhyāyedviṣṇurūpadharaṃ harim .. 81 ..
yadyadiṣṭatamaṃ loke yacca patyuḥ samīhitam ..
tattadguṇavate deyaṃ patiprīṇanakāmyayā .. 82 ..
vaiśākhe kārtike māghe viśeṣaniyamāṃścaret ..
snānaṃ dānaṃ tīrthayātrāṃ viṣṇornāmagrahaṃ muhuḥ .. 83 ..
vaiśākhe jalakuṃbhāṃśca kārtike ghṛtadīpakāḥ ..
māghe dhānya tilotsargaḥ svargaloke viśiṣyate .. 84 ..
prapā kāryā ca vaiśākhe deve deyā galaṃtikā ..
upānadvyajanaṃ chatraṃ sūkṣmavāsāṃsi candanam .. 85 ..
sakarpūraṃ ca tāṃbūlaṃ puṣpadānaṃ tathaiva ca ..
jalapātrāṇyanekāni tathā puṣpa gṛhāṇi ca .. 86 ..
pānāni ca vicitrāṇi drākṣā raṃbhā phalāni ca ..
deyāni dvijamukhyebhyaḥ patirme prīyatāmiti .. 87 ..
ūrje yavānnamaśnīyādekānnamathavā punaḥ ..

The braid of a widow's hair leads to the binding of her husband; / therefore, a widow should always shave her head. // 74
She should always take only one meal [a day], never a second; / or she should observe a fast of three nights, five nights, or a fortnight, // 75
or she should undertake a fast for a month, or perform the cāndrāyaṇa; / or she should perform the severe kṛcchra, or the taptakṛcchra. // 76
With barley foods, with a diet of fruits, with a diet of vegetables, or with diets restricted to milk, / she should sustain life until her life-breath departs of its own accord. // 77
A woman who sleeps on a bedstead, being a widow, brings about her husband's downfall; / therefore, she should sleep on the bare ground with the desire for her husband's welfare. // 78
Nor should anointing the body be done at any time by a widowed woman; / further, application of fragrant substances should never be done by her. // 79
Each day she must offer water libations to her husband with kuśa grass, sesame, and water, / and likewise to his father and his grandfather, reciting their name and gotra. // 80
Moreover, the worship of Viṣṇu should be performed with the contemplation that he is her husband, and not otherwise; / she should constantly meditate on her husband alone as Hari bearing the form of Viṣṇu. // 81
Whatever is most cherished in the world and whatever was desired by her husband, / that she should bestow upon a virtuous man, desiring to please her husband. // 82
In the months of Vaiśākha, Kārttika, and Māgha, she should observe special vows: / ritual ablution, giving of gifts, pilgrimage to sacred fords, and repeated recitation of Viṣṇu's name. // 83
Water pitchers in Vaiśākha, lamps of clarified butter in Kārttika, / and offerings of grain and sesame in Māgha are celebrated as leading to heaven. // 84
A water shed should be set up in Vaiśākha, and a dripping water-pot offered to the god; / shoes, a fan, an umbrella, fine garments, sandalwood paste, // 85
betel with camphor, as well as the gift of flowers, / many water-vessels, and houses decorated with flowers, // 86
various drinks, and fruits such as grapes and plantains / should be given to the foremost of brahmins, saying, “May my husband be pleased.” // 87
In the month of Ūrja, she should eat barley food, or only one meal a day.