Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

आतिथ्येनार्चितो विप्रो दास्यते च महोदयम् । गृहिणी न गृहे यस्य सत्पात्रागमनं वृथा

Transliteration

ātithyenārcito vipro dāsyate ca mahodayam | gṛhiṇī na gṛhe yasya satpātrāgamanaṃ vṛthā

Translation

إذا أُكرم البرهمن بضيافةٍ لائقة (آتِثْيَا) أفاض رخاءً عظيماً. أمّا البيت الذي لا ربّةَ فيه بحقّ، فإن قدوم الضيف الجدير فيه يكون عبثاً.

Word by Word

• आतिथ्येन: by hospitality
• आतिथ्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by means of hospitality)

• अर्चितः: honoured
• अर्चितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) → अर्चित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त — Past passive participle, nominative singular

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• दास्यते: will give
• दास्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — will give (for himself/benefit)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction ‘and’

• महोदयम्: great prosperity/benefit
• महोदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular (object)

• गृहिणी: the housewife
• गृहिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

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

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular (whose)

• सत्पात्रागमनम्: the arrival of a worthy guest
• सत्पात्रागमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः ‘सत्पात्रस्य आगमनम्’ — the coming of a worthy recipient

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb ‘in vain’

Speaker

Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavān) addressing Rukmiṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (atithi-satkāra within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic palace-household scene: Kṛṣṇa instructs, while Rukmiṇī and attendants prepare arghya, pādya, āsana, and food; the verse’s moral weight is shown through orderly hospitality arrangements.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Rukmiṇī
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality to the virtuous is a pillar of gṛhastha-dharma and becomes a channel for blessing, merit, and upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā indirectly—its māhātmya is shown through living dharma: honoring guests and saints who arrive at its tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-satkāra: respectfully receiving and honoring a brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi guest, implying offerings of food, water, and reverence.