Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

धन्यस्य हि गृहस्थस्य कृपयैव द्विजोत्तमाः । आतिथ्यवेषेणायांति पावनार्थं न संशयः

Transliteration

dhanyasya hi gṛhasthasya kṛpayaiva dvijottamāḥ | ātithyaveṣeṇāyāṃti pāvanārthaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

حقًّا، إنّ أفضلَ البراهمة يأتون إلى ربّ البيت السعيد الحظّ بدافع الرحمة الخالصة، في هيئةِ ضيفٍ، إنما ليطهّروه وحده؛ ولا شكّ في ذلك.

Word by Word

• dhanyasya: of the fortunate
• dhanyasya: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘gṛhasthasya’)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात): indeed/for

• gṛhasthasya: of the householder
• gṛhasthasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kṛpayā: by compassion
• kṛpayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु (by/through compassion)

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात): only/indeed

• dvija-uttamāḥ: the best of brahmins
• dvija-uttamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘उत्तमाः द्विजाः’ (excellent brahmins)

• ātithya-veṣeṇa: in the guise of a guest
• ātithya-veṣeṇa: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātithya (प्रातिपदिक) + veṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘आतिथ्यस्य वेषः’ (guise/form of a guest)

• āyānti: come
• āyānti: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• pāvana-artham: for purification
• pāvana-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थ-शब्दः पुं), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘पावनस्य अर्थः’ (for purification); प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (headed by Hārīta) addressing the Atithi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching-like declaration: brāhmaṇas explain that the best brāhmaṇas come compassionately in the form of guests to purify a fortunate householder.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhastha (householder)
• Dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• Atithi (guest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving guests is a purifier for householders; the righteous may arrive as atithis to bestow grace and cleanse impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the ‘holy site’ theme is expressed as purification of the home through atithi-satkāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-satkāra (hospitality to guests), framed as a purificatory dharma for gṛhasthas.