Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

ममाभूदीश्वरस्यैव सतीधर्मद्रुहो नृप । ब्रूहि किं क्रियतां शत्रोरपि ते गृहगामिनः

Transliteration

mamābhūdīśvarasyaiva satīdharmadruho nṛpa | brūhi kiṃ kriyatāṃ śatrorapi te gṛhagāminaḥ

Translation

王よ、主に属するこの我が、善き者のダルマを損なう者となってしまった。告げよ、たとえ汝の敵であっても、家に来た者には何をなすべきか。

Word by Word

• mama: of me/my
• mama: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• abhūt: became/was
• abhūt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• īśvarasya: of the Lord (Śiva)
• īśvarasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• satī-dharma-druhaḥ: of the betrayer of Satī’s duty
• satī-dharma-druhaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + druh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘satī-dharmaṃ druhyati’ → satīdharmadruh ‘betrayer of Satī’s dharma’

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• brūhi: tell/say
• brūhi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• kriyatām: should be done/let be done
• kriyatām: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be done’

• śatroḥ: of the enemy
• śatroḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• api: even/also
• api: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि (concessive/inclusive particle)

• te: your/of you
• te: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• gṛha-gāminaḥ: of the one who comes to your house
• gṛha-gāminaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + gāmin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्वितीया/सप्तमी-समर्थ): ‘gṛhaṃ gacchati’ → gṛhagāmin ‘one who goes to (your) house’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (contextual attribution within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful speaker addresses a king, confessing betrayal of the virtuous and asking how to treat even an enemy who comes home; the king listens with measured authority.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Satī-dharma (dharma of the virtuous)
• Śatru (enemy)
• Gṛha (house)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi-dharma (hospitality) is so sacred that even an enemy arriving at one’s home must be treated according to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse shifts to dharma-ethics within the narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it asks about proper conduct toward an enemy-guest (ethical dharma).