Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तत्त्वं गेहानि चास्माकं पादचंक्रमणेन च । दर्शनाद्भोजनात्स्थानादस्माभिः सह पावय

Transliteration

tattvaṃ gehāni cāsmākaṃ pādacaṃkramaṇena ca | darśanādbhojanātsthānādasmābhiḥ saha pāvaya

Translation

Therefore, purify our homes as well—by walking here with your feet, by your very sight, by accepting food, and by staying here with us.

Word by Word

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (that)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; युष्मद्-प्रत्यय (you)

• gehāni: houses, home(s)
• gehāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: geha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/ conjunction): and

• asmākam: our
• asmākam: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-प्रत्यय (of us/our)

• pāda-caṃkramaṇena: by walking (on foot)
• pāda-caṃkramaṇena: Karana (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक) + caṃkramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; from √kram)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘पादेन चंक्रमणम्’ (walking with the feet/foot-walking)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय): and

• darśanāt: by (your) sight
• darśanāt: Hetu (Cause/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतु/कारणार्थे (by/from seeing)

• bhojanāt: by (your) eating/being fed
• bhojanāt: Hetu (Cause/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतु/कारणार्थे (by/from eating/feeding)

• sthānāt: by (your) staying
• sthānāt: Hetu (Cause/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतु/कारणार्थे (by/from staying/abiding)

• asmābhiḥ: by us / with us
• asmābhiḥ: Sahakari (Associate/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; अस्मद्-प्रत्यय (by us/with us)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (Association)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सह/सम्बन्धबोधक): with, together with

• pāvaya: purify
• pāvaya: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pū (पू धातु; causative √pāvay)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) ‘पावय’ = purify (make pure)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (headed by Hārīta) addressing the Atithi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The householders implore the brāhmaṇa-guest to purify their homes by walking within, granting sight, accepting their food, and staying with them.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi (guest)
• Gṛhastha homes (gehāni)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Holiness is transmitted through presence: a saint’s footsteps, sight, meal-acceptance, and residence sanctify the household.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ‘home’ is treated as a sanctifiable sacred space through the atithi’s presence; no named tīrtha is specified.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving the guest properly—inviting him to enter, to be seen (darśana), to accept food, and to stay.