Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

गृहागतो न विमुखो यस्य जातु कदाचन । शीतकाले धनं प्रादादुष्णकाले जलान्नदः

Transliteration

gṛhāgato na vimukho yasya jātu kadācana | śītakāle dhanaṃ prādāduṣṇakāle jalānnadaḥ

Translation

Quiconque venait à sa maison n’était jamais repoussé. En saison froide, il donnait des biens; en saison chaude, il offrait eau et nourriture.

Word by Word

• गृहागतः: one who has come to the house (guest)
• गृहागतः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + आगत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु, क्त; उपसर्गः आ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (गृहे आगतः)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• विमुखः: turned away, averse
• विमुखः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: of whom
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• जातु: ever
• जातु: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जातु (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal particle)

• कदाचन: at any time
• कदाचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (at any time)

• शीतकाले: in the cold season
• शीतकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीत (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (शीतः कालः)

• धनम्: wealth, money
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• प्रादात्: he gave
• प्रादात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु) उपसर्गः प्र
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• उष्णकाले: in the hot season
• उष्णकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषः (उष्णः कालः)

• जलान्नदः: giver of water and food
• जलान्नदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा धातु, क्विप्/ण्वुलर्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (जल+अन्न) + तत्पुरुषः (तयोः दः/दाता)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (Tīrthamāhātmya narrator voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A steady stream of travelers arrives; the patron’s door remains open. In winter he distributes coins and warm items; in summer he offers cool water, buttermilk, and meals under a shaded veranda.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A householder’s dharma is to never refuse a guest and to give season-appropriate charity, which generates great puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya context, but this specific line emphasizes universal dāna-dharma rather than naming a particular tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Seasonal dāna: giving wealth in winter and giving water and food in summer, along with unwavering hospitality.