Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अथैवं वर्तमानस्य तस्य विप्रवरस्य च । गृहेऽतिथिः समायातः कश्चित्पांथः श्रमान्वितः

Transliteration

athaivaṃ vartamānasya tasya vipravarasya ca | gṛhe'tithiḥ samāyātaḥ kaścitpāṃthaḥ śramānvitaḥ

Translation

Or, tandis que cet excellent brahmane vivait ainsi, un voyageur, accablé par la route, arriva chez lui en qualité d’hôte.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (particle: then/now)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus)

• वर्तमानस्य: of (him) being in such a state, of (him) continuing
• वर्तमानस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत् (धातु) + वर्तमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमान-प्रत्ययान्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Present participle, Masculine, Genitive, Singular)

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

• विप्रवरस्य: of the excellent Brahmin
• विप्रवरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive qualifier/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (best of Brahmins)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• अतिथिः: a guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• समायातः: arrived
• समायातः: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु) (सम्-आ-√या) + आयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत्/विधेय (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• कश्चित्: some, a certain
• कश्चित्: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun/adjective: some)

• पांथः: traveller, wayfarer
• पांथः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाथिन्/पन्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• श्रम-अन्वितः: wearied, fatigued
• श्रम-अन्वितः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-समासः (endowed with fatigue)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dust-covered traveler arrives at the doorway, leaning on a staff, weary from the road; the afflicted brāhmaṇa’s household turns toward the guest.

Characters & Entities

• vipra
• atithi
• pāṃtha (traveler)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi (guest) is treated as sacred; hospitality becomes a doorway through which divine guidance and tīrtha-knowledge enters the household.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not yet; this verse introduces the guest whose account will connect the story to a specific sacred place and its healing merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit atithi-dharma: receiving a guest respectfully, which is a key dharmic observance in Purāṇic teaching.