Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

धन्यस्य हि गृहस्थस्य कृपयैव द्विजोत्तमाः । आतिथ्यवेषेणायांति पावनार्थं न संशयः

Transliteration

dhanyasya hi gṛhasthasya kṛpayaiva dvijottamāḥ | ātithyaveṣeṇāyāṃti pāvanārthaṃ na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Indeed, for a fortunate householder, the best of brāhmaṇas come—out of sheer compassion—wearing the guise of a guest, solely to purify him; of this there is no doubt.

Word by Word

• dhanyasya: of the fortunate
• dhanyasya: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘gṛhasthasya’)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha-bodhaka (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात): indeed/for

• gṛhasthasya: of the householder
• gṛhasthasya: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛhastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• kṛpayā: by compassion
• kṛpayā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛpā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु (by/through compassion)

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात): only/indeed

• dvija-uttamāḥ: the best of brahmins
• dvija-uttamāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘उत्तमाः द्विजाः’ (excellent brahmins)

• ātithya-veṣeṇa: in the guise of a guest
• ātithya-veṣeṇa: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātithya (प्रातिपदिक) + veṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘आतिथ्यस्य वेषः’ (guise/form of a guest)

• āyānti: come
• āyānti: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• pāvana-artham: for purification
• pāvana-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvana (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (अर्थ-शब्दः पुं), द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘पावनस्य अर्थः’ (for purification); प्रयोजनार्थे (purpose)

• na: not
• na: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• saṃśayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (headed by Hārīta) addressing the Atithi

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching-like declaration: brāhmaṇas explain that the best brāhmaṇas come compassionately in the form of guests to purify a fortunate householder.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛhastha (householder)
• Dvijottama (excellent brāhmaṇa)
• Atithi (guest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving guests is a purifier for householders; the righteous may arrive as atithis to bestow grace and cleanse impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the ‘holy site’ theme is expressed as purification of the home through atithi-satkāra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-satkāra (hospitality to guests), framed as a purificatory dharma for gṛhasthas.