Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

पुरा सनारु नामासीन्मुनिरत्र गृहाश्रमी । ब्रह्मयज्ञरतो नित्यं नित्यं चातिथिदैवतः

Transliteration

purā sanāru nāmāsīnmuniratra gṛhāśramī | brahmayajñarato nityaṃ nityaṃ cātithidaivataḥ

Translation

പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ഇവിടെ സനാരു എന്ന മുനി ഗൃഹസ്ഥാശ്രമത്തിൽ വസിച്ചു; അദ്ദേഹം നിത്യം ബ്രഹ്മയജ്ഞത്തിൽ നിരതനായി, അതിഥികളെ എപ്പോഴും ദേവതുല്യരായി കരുതുകയായിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-viseshana (Temporal/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/once)

• सनारुः: Sanāru
• सनारुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सनारु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Naming particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; नामार्थक-निपात (called/named)

• आसीत्: there was
• आसीत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मुनिः: a sage
• मुनिः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सनारोः विशेषणम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• गृहाश्रमी: a householder (in gṛhāśrama)
• गृहाश्रमी: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह-आश्रमी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; मुनि/सनारुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्मयज्ञरतः: devoted to brahma-yajña
• ब्रह्मयज्ञरतः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मयज्ञ-रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सनारुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (Frequency/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viseshana (Frequency/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावे प्रयुक्तम्; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

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

• अतिथिदैवतः: one for whom guests are (like) deity; devoted to guests
• अतिथिदैवतः: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिथि-दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सनारुः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (narration continues)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahāmuni

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene Kāśī household-āśrama: sage Sanāru performs daily brahma-yajña with manuscripts and fire, while welcoming a guest at the threshold with water and a seat, seeing the guest as a deity.

Characters & Entities

• Sanāru
• Atithi (guest as divine)
• Brahma-yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma upholds gṛhastha life when anchored in Vedic study (brahma-yajña) and hospitality (atithi-sevā).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse situates the narrative “here” within Kāśī’s sacred setting, preparing for a Liṅga-māhātmya account.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Brahma-yajña (regular sacred study/recitation) and atithi-pūjā (honoring guests).