Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

निजापराधसंतप्ता गतास्ते दक्षिणामुखम् आथित्यपू । जा कर्तव्या लुब्धके गृहमागते

Transliteration

nijāparādhasaṃtaptā gatāste dakṣiṇāmukham āthityapū | jā kartavyā lubdhake gṛhamāgate

Translation

Von der Erkenntnis ihrer eigenen Vergehen gepeinigt, wandten sie sich nach Süden. Wenn ein Jäger als Gast ins Haus kommt, soll man ihm Gastfreundschaft und ehrerbietige Verehrung erweisen.

Word by Word

• nija-aparādha-saṃtaptāḥ: afflicted by their own offences
• nija-aparādha-saṃtaptāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nija (प्रातिपदिक) + aparādha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtaptā (कृदन्त; √tap तप् + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘own-offence-burnt’ = ‘afflicted by their own offences’

• gatāḥ: went / having gone
• gatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘gone’

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• dakṣiṇā-mukham: the southern direction (south-facing)
• dakṣiṇā-mukham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇā (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (goal as object of motion)

• āthitya-pūjā: hospitality (honouring a guest)
• āthitya-pūjā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āthitya (प्रातिपदिक) + pūjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; पाठभ्रंश-सूचित: ‘आथित्यपू । जा’ इति छेदः ‘आथित्यपूजा’ (hospitality-worship)

• kartavyā: should be done
• kartavyā: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kartavya (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ + तव्य)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण; ‘to be done/should be done’

• lubdhake: when the hunter
• lubdhake: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lubdhaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विषय/अधिकरण (with regard to/when)

• gṛham: to the house
• gṛham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (goal)

• āgate: having arrived / when (he) arrived
• āgate: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āgata (कृदन्त; ā-√gam गम् + क्त)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (locative absolute-like: ‘on (his) arrival’)

Speaker

Rudra (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful group turns southward; at a humble doorway a hunter-guest arrives; the householder prepares water, seat, and offerings with reverence despite the guest’s rough attire and bow.

Characters & Entities

• Lubdhaka (hunter)
• South direction (dakṣiṇā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi-dharma is universal: one must honor a guest without prejudice, even if the visitor is a hunter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is primarily dharma-instruction within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya narrative rather than a direct tīrtha description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āthitya-pūjā—offering hospitality and respectful reception to a guest (atithi).