Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

विश्वानरोटजं प्राप्य देवर्षिर्नारदः सुधीः । पप्रच्छ कुशलं तत्र गृहीतार्घासनः क्रमात्

Transliteration

viśvānaroṭajaṃ prāpya devarṣirnāradaḥ sudhīḥ | papraccha kuśalaṃ tatra gṛhītārghāsanaḥ kramāt

Translation

വൈശ്വാനരന്റെ ആശ്രമത്തിലെത്തി, പ്രാജ്ഞനായ ദേവർഷി നാരദൻ—അർഘ്യവും ആസനവും യഥാവിധി സ്വീകരിച്ച് ആദരിക്കപ്പെട്ട ശേഷം—അവിടെ കുശലക്ഷേമം ക്രമമായി ചോദിച്ചു।

Word by Word

• viśvānara-ūṭajam: Viśvānara’s hut
• viśvānara-ūṭajam: Karma (Object of reaching/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśvānara (प्रातिपदिक) + ūṭaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘Viśvānara’s hut’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prāp (धातु; √āp with pra-)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव: ‘having reached/attained’

• devarṣiḥ: the divine sage
• devarṣiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘divine sage’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular)

• nāradaḥ: Nārada
• nāradaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular); apposition to devarṣiḥ

• sudhīḥ: wise
• sudhīḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/प्रादि) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (of Nārada)

• papraccha: asked
• papraccha: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √prach (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• kuśalam: welfare, well-being
• kuśalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb): तस्मिन् स्थाने (there)

• gṛhīta-argha-āsanaḥ: having accepted the offering and seat
• gṛhīta-argha-āsanaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gṛhīta (कृदन्त; from √grah) + argha (प्रातिपदिक) + āsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कर्मधारय/बहुव्रीहि-सदृश प्रयोग: ‘one who has taken arghya and a seat’), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (singular); विशेषण (of Nārada)

• kramāt: in order, duly
• kramāt: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: krama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभाव (instrumental used adverbially): क्रमशः (in due order)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual, Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame traditionally Skanda-to-Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada arrives at a simple hermitage; Vaiśvānara respectfully offers arghya (water in a vessel) and a seat; the atmosphere is calm and formal, signaling dharmic order.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vaiśvānara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honoring guests—especially sages—with arghya and a seat is a core expression of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s sacred landscape forms the backdrop, but this verse emphasizes atithi-dharma rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Receiving a worthy guest with arghya (water-offering) and āsana (seat) as part of proper hospitality.