Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

अतिथेश्चापि सत्कारो मैत्रीतीर्थनिवासिभिः । आस्तिक्यबुद्धिर्विनयो मानामान समानधीः

Transliteration

atitheścāpi satkāro maitrītīrthanivāsibhiḥ | āstikyabuddhirvinayo mānāmāna samānadhīḥ

Translation

അതിഥിസത്കാരം, തീർത്ഥനിവാസികളോടുള്ള മൈത്രി, ആസ്തികബുദ്ധി, വിനയം, കൂടാതെ മാനാപമാനങ്ങളിൽ സമദൃഷ്ടി—(ഇവ കാശിയിൽ) പ്രശംസിത ഗുണങ്ങളാണ്.

Word by Word

• atitheḥ: of a guest
• atitheḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘also’

• satkāraḥ: honouring; hospitality
• satkāraḥ: Karma (Object/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satkāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषयः

• maitrī-tīrtha-nivāsibhiḥ: with the residents of Maitrī-tīrtha
• maitrī-tīrtha-nivāsibhiḥ: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitrī (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक) + nivāsin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (मैत्रीतीर्थे निवासिनः); सहकारि/सहयोगे

• āstikya-buddhiḥ: faithful mindset
• āstikya-buddhiḥ: Karma (Quality/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āstikya (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (आस्तिक्या बुद्धिः = faithful disposition)

• vinayaḥ: humility; discipline
• vinayaḥ: Karma (Quality/Practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vinaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषयः

• māna-amāna: honour and dishonour
• māna-amāna: Karma (Object/Attitude)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māna (प्रातिपदिक) + amāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (समाहार-द्वन्द्व), प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘honour and dishonour’ as a pair

• samāna-dhīḥ: equal-mindedness
• samāna-dhīḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāna (प्रातिपदिक) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (अन्तर्भूत-‘matiḥ/buddhiḥ’ इत्यर्थे) — ‘equal-minded’

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (tīrtha-vāsa-ācāra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim household in Kāśī welcomes a traveling ascetic/guest with water and food; nearby, locals at a ghāṭa exchange friendly greetings; the central figure remains calm amid praise and slight insult, symbolizing mānāpamāna-samatā.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage is perfected by character: hospitality, humility, faith, and equanimity are integral to sacred living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching context; the verse also references tīrtha-residents, highlighting the social dharma of holy places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No single ritual; it prescribes dhārmic conduct—honoring guests, befriending tīrtha residents, and practicing humility and equanimity.