Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

कृतार्हणातिथ्यविधिं विश्रांतं मां च फाल्गुन । प्रणम्य तेऽथ पप्रच्छुर्नाडीजंघपुरः सराः

Transliteration

kṛtārhaṇātithyavidhiṃ viśrāṃtaṃ māṃ ca phālguna | praṇamya te'tha papracchurnāḍījaṃghapuraḥ sarāḥ

Translation

O Phālguna, nachdem sie die Riten der Gastverehrung ordnungsgemäß vollzogen hatten und ich ausgeruht war, verneigten sich die Bewohner von Nāḍījaṅgha ehrfürchtig und befragten mich daraufhin.

Word by Word

• कृतार्हणातिथ्यविधिम्: the performed rite of honoring guests
• कृतार्हणातिथ्यविधिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (कृ धातु; क्त-कृदन्त) + अर्हण (प्रातिपदिक) + आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (अर्हण-आतिथ्यस्य विधिः; कृतः)

• विश्रान्तम्: rested
• विश्रान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकालिक-कृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘माम्’ इति कर्मपदस्य विशेषणम्

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• फाल्गुन: O Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुन: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र + नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle)

• पप्रच्छुः: asked
• पप्रच्छुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नाडी-जङ्घ-पुरःसराः: those led by Nāḍī and Jaṅgha
• नाडी-जङ्घ-पुरःसराः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडी (प्रातिपदिक) + जङ्घ (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरःसर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (नाडी-जङ्घे पुरःसरौ येषाम्)

Speaker

Narrator (likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāḍījaṅgha (as a dharmic settlement in the narrative)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Phālguna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Residents welcome the sage: offering pādya/arghya, a seat, and food; the sage rests; afterward, the group bows and begins inquiry.

Characters & Entities

• Phālguna
• Nāḍījaṅgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring guests (ātithya) is presented as a foundational dharma that prepares the ground for higher spiritual inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sets up a discourse that will soon point toward Kāśī/Varanasi through the yogī Saṃvarta, though this line itself names Nāḍījaṅgha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Proper guest-honoring rites (arhaṇa and ātithya-vidhi) are referenced as the prescribed conduct.