Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

विश्वानरोटजं प्राप्य देवर्षिर्नारदः सुधीः । पप्रच्छ कुशलं तत्र गृहीतार्घासनः क्रमात्

Transliteration

viśvānaroṭajaṃ prāpya devarṣirnāradaḥ sudhīḥ | papraccha kuśalaṃ tatra gṛhītārghāsanaḥ kramāt

Translation

Als er die Einsiedelei Vaiśvānara erreichte, fragte der weise Devarṣi Nārada—nachdem man ihn der Ordnung gemäß mit Arghya und einem Sitz geehrt hatte—dann nach seinem Wohlergehen.

Word by Word

• viśvānara-ūṭajam: Viśvānara’s hut
• viśvānara-ūṭajam: Karma (Object of reaching/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvānara (प्रातिपदिक) + ūṭaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Viśvānara’s hut’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prāp (धातु; √āp with pra-)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव: ‘having reached/attained’

• devarṣiḥ: the divine sage
• devarṣiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘divine sage’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular); apposition to devarṣiḥ

• sudhīḥ: wise
• sudhīḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/प्रादि) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (of Nārada)

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• kuśalam: welfare, well-being
• kuśalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): तस्मिन् स्थाने (there)

• gṛhīta-argha-āsanaḥ: having accepted the offering and seat
• gṛhīta-argha-āsanaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛhīta (कृदन्त; from √grah) + argha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-सदृश प्रयोग: ‘one who has taken arghya and a seat’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (of Nārada)

• kramāt: in order, duly
• kramāt: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially): क्रमशः (in due order)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame traditionally Skanda-to-Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada arrives at a simple hermitage; Vaiśvānara respectfully offers arghya (water in a vessel) and a seat; the atmosphere is calm and formal, signaling dharmic order.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vaiśvānara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring guests—especially sages—with arghya and a seat is a core expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape forms the backdrop, but this verse emphasizes atithi-dharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving a worthy guest with arghya (water-offering) and āsana (seat) as part of proper hospitality.