Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

योगीन्द्रं श्वपचं वापि अतिथिं न विचारयेत् । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य यजमानपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

yogīndraṃ śvapacaṃ vāpi atithiṃ na vicārayet | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya yajamānapurogamāḥ

Translation

Qu’on ne fasse point de distinction envers l’hôte, qu’il soit un souverain des yogis ou même un cuiseur de chiens (un paria). Ayant entendu ses paroles, les sacrifiants, conduits par le yajamāna…

Word by Word

• योगीन्द्रम्: the lord of yogis
• योगीन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; योगिन् + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (योगिनाम् इन्द्रः)

• श्वपचम्: a dog-cooker (outcaste)
• श्वपचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• अतिथिम्: a guest
• अतिथिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• विचारयेत्: should consider/examine
• विचारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः—चर्, उपसर्गः—वि

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत् + श्रुत्वा इति संधिविच्छेदः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• वचनम्: statement/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• यजमानपुरोगमाः: those led by the sacrificer
• यजमानपुरोगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमानपुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक; यजमान + पुरोगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (‘यजमानः पुरोगमः येषाम्’ = having the sacrificer in front)

Speaker

A virtuous brāhmaṇa (continuation; explicit dharma rule)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial enclosure near the Revā; a guest arrives whose outer identity is ambiguous—either a radiant yogin or an outcaste—while attendants hesitate; the teaching is spoken as a dharma-injunction.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Yogīndra
• Śvapaca
• Yajamāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality is unconditional: an atithi must be honored without social discrimination, because dharma is tested through conduct toward the vulnerable and unknown.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra is the narrative backdrop; the verse teaches a universal dharma principle within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not 'evaluate' (vicāra) a guest by status; offer proper respect/service irrespective of caste or appearance.