Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

तस्मादतिथयः प्राप्ता यूयं सर्वेऽद्य मे गृहम् । प्रकरोमि किमातिथ्यं प्रोच्यतां द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

tasmādatithayaḥ prāptā yūyaṃ sarve'dya me gṛham | prakaromi kimātithyaṃ procyatāṃ dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

অতএব আপনারা অতিথিরূপে এসেছেন; আজ আপনারা সকলেই আমার গৃহে। আমি কীভাবে আতিথ্য করব? বলুন, হে দ্বিজশ্রেষ্ঠগণ!

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनार्थे (ablatival adverb) ‘therefore/from that’

• अतिथयः: guests
• अतिथयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्राप्ताः: have arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘arrived’

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with यूयम्)

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गृहम्: house, home
• गृहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गमनस्य लक्ष्य (destination)

• प्रकरोमि: I do, I perform
• प्रकरोमि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (परस्मैपद), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality
• आतिथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रोच्यताम्: let it be said/told
• प्रोच्यताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लोट् (कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आज्ञार्थः ‘let it be told’

• द्विजसत्तमाः: O best of brāhmaṇas
• द्विजसत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative sense) ‘O best of twice-born’

Speaker

Mṛkaṇḍa (inviting and offering hospitality to the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mṛkaṇḍa invites the sages into his home, respectfully asking what hospitality he should perform; the threshold becomes a sacred limen between tīrtha and household.

Characters & Entities

• atithi (guest)
• dvija (twice-born)
• muni (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi-dharma—reverently serving guests, especially sages—is a direct expression of righteousness and a generator of puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The hospitality occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha setting near the āśrama; the verse emphasizes dharma practiced at a sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering ātithya (hospitality) to dvijas/sages is explicitly requested as the proper action.