Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्पार्श्वे ब्राह्मणं धृत्वा प्रविष्टो गृहमध्यतः । भार्यया श्रपयामास धान्यं मानमितं तदा

Transliteration

tatpārśve brāhmaṇaṃ dhṛtvā praviṣṭo gṛhamadhyataḥ | bhāryayā śrapayāmāsa dhānyaṃ mānamitaṃ tadā

Translation

Ayant placé le brāhmaṇa à ses côtés, il entra au cœur de la demeure. Puis il fit cuire par son épouse une quantité de grain dûment mesurée.

Word by Word

• तत्-पार्श्वे: at his side
• तत्-पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्य पार्श्वे)

• ब्राह्मणम्: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• धृत्वा: having placed/holding
• धृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund)

• प्रविष्टः: entered
• प्रविष्टः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकृदन्त (past participle) ‘प्रविष्ट’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृह-मध्यतः: from/into the middle of the house (inside)
• गृह-मध्यतः: Adhikarana (Source/स्थानापादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तः (तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (ablatival adverb) ‘-तः’; तत्पुरुष-समास (गृहस्य मध्यतः)

• भार्यया: by (his) wife
• भार्यया: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रपयामास: caused to be cooked
• श्रपयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रप् (धातु) (णिच् causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative: caused to cook)

• धान्यम्: grain, food-grain
• धान्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मान-मितम्: measured (in due measure)
• मान-मितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मान (प्रातिपदिक) + मित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √मा ‘measure’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् धान्यम्-विशेषणम् (measured by a measure)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Inside a modest but orderly home, Maṇibhadra escorts the brāhmaṇa inward and seats him nearby; the wife begins cooking a measured portion of grain over a hearth.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• bhāryā (wife)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The householder path is sanctified by honoring guests—especially brāhmaṇas—through timely, respectful hospitality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader chapter belongs to a tīrthamāhātmya, but this verse itself focuses on household hospitality rather than naming a site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Preparation of food for a guest—an implied form of anna-dāna and atithi-sevā.