Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

वैश्वदेवेन ये हीना आतिथ्येन विवर्जिताः । सर्वे ते वृषला ज्ञेयाः प्राप्तवेदा अपि द्विजाः

Transliteration

vaiśvadevena ye hīnā ātithyena vivarjitāḥ | sarve te vṛṣalā jñeyāḥ prāptavedā api dvijāḥ

Translation

വൈശ്വദേവം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് അതിഥിസത്കാരം ഇല്ലാത്തവർ—അവരെല്ലാം വൃഷലരെന്ന് അറിയുക; അവർ ദ്വിജരായാലും വേദം പഠിച്ചവരായാലും പോലും.

Word by Word

• वैश्वदेवेन: by/with the Vaiśvadeva (rite)
• वैश्वदेवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• हीनाः: devoid (of)
• हीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• आतिथ्येन: with hospitality
• आतिथ्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विवर्जिताः: excluded from; lacking
• विवर्जिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वृषलाः: outcastes; base men
• वृषलाः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ज्ञेयाः: are to be known (as)
• ज्ञेयाः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive/passive necessity), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्राप्तवेदा: even if they have obtained the Vedas
• प्राप्तवेदा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (कृदन्त; √प्राप्) + वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—'येषां वेदाः प्राप्ताः'

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (concessive particle)

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजाः: Karta (Appositional/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa with scriptures is shown turning away a guest; beside him, a dharmic householder welcomes the guest and performs offerings—contrasting true and false dvijatva.

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśvadeva
• Atithi (Guest)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Scriptural learning is incomplete without lived dharma—offerings and hospitality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the textual setting; the passage frames Kashi’s sanctity through strict household dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not abandon Vaiśvadeva and ātithya; both are mandatory duties for householders.