Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

कदाचिदतिथिर्भूतो दुर्लभं प्रार्थयन्रविः । न तस्य राज्ञो विषये दुर्लभं किंचिदैक्षत

Transliteration

kadācidatithirbhūto durlabhaṃ prārthayanraviḥ | na tasya rājño viṣaye durlabhaṃ kiṃcidaikṣata

Translation

ചിലപ്പോൾ രവി അതിഥിയായി വന്ന് ദുർലഭമായതു അപേക്ഷിച്ചു; എന്നാൽ ആ രാജാവിന്റെ രാജ്യത്തിൽ ‘അപ്രാപ്യം’ എന്നു പറയാവുന്ന ഒന്നും അവൻ കണ്ടില്ല।

Word by Word

• कदाचित्: at some time
• कदाचित्: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अतिथिः: a guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भूतः: having become
• भूतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘भूतः’ = ‘become’

• दुर्लभम्: something hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रार्थयन्: requesting
• प्रार्थयन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अर्थ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

• रविः: Ravi (the Sun)
• रविः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विषये: in the realm/domain
• विषये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (किंचित्-विशेषण)

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्राय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (context: द्वितीया as object), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक

• ऐक्षत: he saw, found
• ऐक्षत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant yet disguised traveler (Ravi) arrives as an atithi, requesting a ‘rare’ boon; the king’s treasury and granaries open without hesitation, attendants bringing gifts while the guest watches in wonder.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi (Sūrya)
• atithi (guest)
• a righteous king

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality and generosity are measures of dharma; for the truly righteous, ‘difficult gifts’ become possible through resolve.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the setting for exemplary dharma practiced by a king.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, atithi-sevā (serving guests) and dāna (giving) are upheld, though no formal rite is detailed.