Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

अनर्चितोऽतिथिर्गेहाद्भग्नाशो यस्य गच्छति । आजन्मसंचितात्पुण्यात्क्षणात्स हि बहिर्भवेत्

Transliteration

anarcito'tithirgehādbhagnāśo yasya gacchati | ājanmasaṃcitātpuṇyātkṣaṇātsa hi bahirbhavet

Translation

Wenn ein unverehrter Gast das Haus verlässt, dessen Hoffnung zerbrochen ist, dann wird jener Mensch im Nu des Verdienstes beraubt, das seit der Geburt angesammelt wurde.

Word by Word

• अनर्चितः: unhonored
• अनर्चितः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्चित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √अर्च्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्यय (not honored)

• अतिथिः: a guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गेहात्: from the house
• गेहात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भग्नाशः: with hopes broken
• भग्नाशः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भग्न (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √भञ्ज्) + आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—‘भग्ना आशा यस्य सः’

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• आजन्मसंचितात्: accumulated since birth
• आजन्मसंचितात्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √चि)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन; आजन्म (avyayībhāva: from birth) + संचित (accumulated)

• पुण्यात्: from (one's) merit
• पुण्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षणात्: in a moment
• क्षणात्: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान) विभक्ति, एकवचन; कालवाचक

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• बहिः: outside / away
• बहिः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहिः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: outside)

• भवेत्: would become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary traveler/guest stands at a doorway with lowered head, leaving with broken hope; inside, the householder looks away; above, a symbolic stream of light (merit) drains away into darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi (Guest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglecting a guest is a serious dharmic failure that can nullify one’s accumulated merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is framed within Kāśī Māhātmya, applying dharma to life in the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-arcana/satkāra—formally honoring the guest so they do not depart disappointed.