Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

वेश्वदेवं तथातिथ्यं नवमं पितृतर्पणम् । नव गोप्यानि यान्यत्र मुने तानि निशामय

Transliteration

veśvadevaṃ tathātithyaṃ navamaṃ pitṛtarpaṇam | nava gopyāni yānyatra mune tāni niśāmaya

Translation

Écoute, ô sage : voici les neuf choses qu’il faut garder secrètes : l’offrande de Vaiśvadeva, l’accueil honoré de l’hôte, et, en neuvième, les libations offertes aux Pitṛs (ancêtres).

Word by Word

• वैश्वदेवम्: Vaiśvadeva offering/rite
• वैश्वदेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Avyaya (Modifier/अव्यय-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality to guests
• आतिथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नवमम्: the ninth
• नवमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (ordinal adjective)

• पितृतर्पणम्: offering to the ancestors (pitṛ-tarpaṇa)
• पितृतर्पणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + तर्पण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (गोप्यानि इत्यस्य विशेषण)

• गोप्यानि: to be kept secret
• गोप्यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गोप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be kept secret)

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अत्र: here/in this context
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• निशामय: observe/heed/listen
• निशामय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A calm domestic shrine scene in Kāśī: a householder offers Vaiśvadeva into a small fire, welcomes an atithi with water and seat, and later performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa with kuśa and water at a riverside ghat—while a sage listens to the teaching on what should remain confidential.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain sacred household observances are to be protected with discretion, preserving their sanctity and efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on dharma-guidance rather than a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vaiśvadeva (daily offerings), ātithya (guest-honor), and pitṛ-tarpaṇa (ancestral libations) are referenced as sacred practices to be kept confidential.