Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

निष्ठुरे वज्रहृदये प्राप्तोऽहमतिथिस्तव । उचितां तत्सतां पूजां कुरु या ते हृदि स्थिता

Transliteration

niṣṭhure vajrahṛdaye prāpto'hamatithistava | ucitāṃ tatsatāṃ pūjāṃ kuru yā te hṛdi sthitā

Translation

ഓ വജ്രഹൃദയ നിഷ്ഠുരനേ! ഞാൻ നിന്റെ അതിഥിയായി വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു. സജ്ജനർക്കു യോജിച്ച আতിഥ്യപൂജ നിന്റെ ഹൃദയത്തിൽ ഉള്ളതുപോലെ യഥോചിതമായി നിർവഹിക്കു.

Word by Word

• निष्ठुरे: O cruel (one)
• निष्ठुरे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्ठुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (vocative: O cruel one)

• वज्रहृदये: O diamond-hearted one
• वज्रहृदये: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र (प्रातिपदिक) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (वज्रवत् हृदयम् यस्य/वज्रस्य हृदयम्)

• प्राप्तः: arrived
• प्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राप्त (प्र + आप् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (having arrived)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• अतिथिः: guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम (genitive: of you)

• उचिताम्: proper, fitting
• उचिताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उचित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ (that)

• सताम्: of the good (people)
• सताम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (अस् धातु, शतृ/प्रातिपदिकवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (genitive plural: of the good)

• पूजाम्: worship, honor
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• कुरु: do, perform
• कुरु: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• या: which
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (which)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन (enclitic genitive: of you)

• हृदि: in (your) heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• स्थिता: abiding, present
• स्थिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (स्था धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (standing/abiding)

Speaker

Bhīmabhū (addressing the woman)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bold speaker addresses a hard-hearted person, calling them ‘vajra-hṛdaya’, while asserting his status as a guest and demanding proper reception.

Characters & Entities

• Bhīmabhū

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi-dharma (honoring a guest) is upheld as a hallmark of the righteous, even amid personal conflict.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is ethical conduct (dharma) in narrative form.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription of satāṃ-pūjā—proper honoring of a guest—without specific rites.