Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 161

Devanagari script

सायंप्रातश्च भोक्तव्यं कृत्वा ह्यतिथि भोजनम् । स्वप्नाध्ययनभोज्यानि संध्ययोश्च विवर्जयेत्

Transliteration

sāyaṃprātaśca bhoktavyaṃ kṛtvā hyatithi bhojanam | svapnādhyayanabhojyāni saṃdhyayośca vivarjayet

Translation

ليأكل مساءً وصباحًا بعد أن يطعم الضيف أولًا. وعند وقتي السَّنْدْهْيا (sandhyā) في الشفقين، فليجتنب النوم والدراسة والأكل.

Word by Word

• सायम्: in the evening
• सायम्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सायम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: in the evening)

• प्रातः: in the morning
• प्रातः: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रातः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: in the morning)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भोक्तव्यम्: should be eaten
• भोक्तव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विधेय (to be eaten/should be eaten)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund): having done

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• अतिथि: of a guest
• अतिथि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular) — 'of a guest' (सम्बन्ध)

• भोजनम्: meal/food
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative singular)

• स्वप्न: sleep
• स्वप्न: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• अध्ययन: study/recitation
• अध्ययन: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्ययन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (समासाङ्ग)

• भोज्यानि: sleep, study, and eating (acts/food)
• भोज्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः: स्वप्न + अध्ययन + भोज्य (things to be eaten/food)

• संध्ययोः: at the two twilights (dawn and dusk)
• संध्ययोः: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी द्विवचन (genitive/locative dual) — 'of/at the two twilights'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined householder-pilgrim at a riverside rest-house feeds an arriving guest first; the sky shows dawn/dusk hues while the devotee refrains from eating and turns to sandhyā worship.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Sandhyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honor guests as sacred and protect the sanctity of sandhyā by reserving it for prayerful discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; it prescribes universal daily conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Eat morning and evening after feeding guests; avoid sleeping, studying, and eating during sandhyā times.