Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

गृहस्थैश्च सदा भाव्यं यावज्जीवं क्रियापरैः । पंचयज्ञरतैश्चैवातिथिद्विजसुपूजकैः

Transliteration

gṛhasthaiśca sadā bhāvyaṃ yāvajjīvaṃ kriyāparaiḥ | paṃcayajñarataiścaivātithidvijasupūjakaiḥ

Translation

Hausväter sollen stets — ihr ganzes Leben lang — dem rechten Wandel ergeben sein, die fünf großen Opfer pflegen und Gäste wie auch die Dvijas mit gebührender Ehrfurcht verehren.

Word by Word

• गृहस्थैः: by householders
• गृहस्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• भाव्यम्: should be (done/maintained)
• भाव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्/यत्-भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (gerundive: ought to be)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (until/as long as)

• जीवम्: life (for one’s lifetime)
• जीवम्: Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (accusative of extent of time: for life)

• क्रियापरैः: by those devoted to duties/rites
• क्रियापरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया-पर (प्रातिपदिक; क्रिया + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहस्थैः); तत्पुरुष (क्रियायां परः = devoted to rites)

• पञ्चयज्ञरतैः: by those engaged in the five sacrifices
• पञ्चयज्ञरतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-यज्ञ-रत (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + यज्ञ + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहस्थैः); ‘पञ्चयज्ञ’ (द्विगु) + ‘रत’

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

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अतिथिद्विजसुपूजकैः: by those who honor guests and Brahmins well
• अतिथिद्विजसुपूजकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिथि-द्विज-सु-पूजक (प्रातिपदिक; अतिथि + द्विज + सु + पूजक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहस्थैः); अतिथि-द्विजयोः द्वन्द्व, तयोः ‘सु-पूजक’ (कर्मधारय) समासान्त

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder couple performing pañca-yajñas: small fire offering, Veda recitation, feeding a guest-brāhmaṇa, offering to animals/birds, and water-libation for ancestors—set near a pilgrim rest-house.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The gṛhastha path is sanctified by lifelong discipline: pañca-yajñas, hospitality, and reverence toward the learned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general dharma teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; it does not name a specific sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of the pañca-yajñas and proper honoring of guests (atithi) and dvijas.