Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणावसथं गत्वा स्खलन्द्वारेऽब्रवीदिदम् । भोभो गृहपते त्वद्य ब्राह्मणैः सह भोजनम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāvasathaṃ gatvā skhalandvāre'bravīdidam | bhobho gṛhapate tvadya brāhmaṇaiḥ saha bhojanam

Translation

Er ging zur Herberge der Brahmanen und, am Eingang stolpernd, sprach: „O Hausherr, heute wünsche ich zusammen mit den Brahmanen zu speisen.“

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणावसथम्: the Brahmins’ lodging/house
• ब्राह्मणावसथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-अवसथ (प्रातिपदिक; ब्राह्मण + अवसथ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणानाम् अवसथः’

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund); ‘having gone’

• स्खलन्: stumbling
• स्खलन्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्खल् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (stumbling)

• द्वारे: at the door
• द्वारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; वाक्यकर्म

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana marker (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• भो: O! (repeated)
• भो: Sambodhana marker (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात; पुनरुक्ति (bhobho)

• गृहपते: O householder/master of the house
• गृहपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहपति (प्रातिपदिक; गृह + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; ‘गृहस्य पतिः’

• त्व: you
• त्व: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ (enclitic form)

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Kriya-vishesana (Time adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ब्राह्मणैः: with Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Sahakaraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सह: together with
• सह: Sahakaraka marker (सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक अव्यय (postposition-like: with)

• भोजनम्: a meal/feeding
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; अभिप्रेत/याचित कर्म

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (narrating the disguised Lord’s speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa brāhmaṇāvasatha (episode locus)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the doorway of a brāhmaṇa lodging, the stumbling leper-beggar addresses the householder, requesting to dine together with the brāhmaṇas that day.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Gṛhapati (householder)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A guest’s request tests householders’ adherence to atithi-dharma—serving others without prejudice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative unfolds in the Revā region; the verse itself highlights a social-ritual setting rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhojana—hosting/feeding, especially in a Brāhmaṇa/śrāddha-related context.