Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

नित्यश्राद्धं भूतबलिं तथाऽतिथि समर्चनम् । विशन्त्यन्यानि दत्त्वा च प्रशस्यानि यमालये

Transliteration

nityaśrāddhaṃ bhūtabaliṃ tathā'tithi samarcanam | viśantyanyāni dattvā ca praśasyāni yamālaye

Translation

नित्य श्राद्ध, भूतबलि तथा अतिथि का सम्यक् सत्कार—इन और अन्य प्रशंसनीय दानों को देकर (उनके पुण्य) यमलोक में भी सराहे जाते हैं।

Word by Word

• नित्यश्राद्धम्: daily śrāddha rite
• नित्यश्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भूतबलिम्: offering to beings (bhūtas)
• भूतबलिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + बलि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तथा: and also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (connector)

• अतिथि: guest
• अतिथि: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थे पूर्वपद (guest); अव्यक्त-विभक्ति (समासपूर्वपद)

• समर्चनम्: proper worship/honouring
• समर्चनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + अर्चन (अर्च् धातु; भाव-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; धातु-अर्च् (to worship) से भाववाचक

• विशन्ति: they enter
• विशन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• अन्यानि: other (merits/acts)
• अन्यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• दत्त्वा: having given
• दत्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), 'having given'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रशस्यानि: praiseworthy
• प्रशस्यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + शस्य (शंस् धातु; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण; 'प्रशस्य' = प्रशंसनीय

• यमालये: in Yama’s abode
• यमालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + आलय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (pitṛ/atithi dharma context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Kāśī household courtyard near the ghats: a small śrāddha setup with water vessel and food; a portion placed outside for birds/dogs (bhūta-bali); a traveler-guest welcomed with respectful offering; in the background, a subtle vision of Yama’s court where merits are praised.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ancestral duty, compassion to living beings, and atithi-dharma create enduring merit recognized even beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s dharma-ethos is the frame: the verse supports tīrtha life through daily rites and hospitality, though no single tīrtha-name appears.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-śrāddha, bhūta-bali offerings, and formal honoring of guests (atithi-samarcana).