Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

स्वकुलायात्प्रहृष्टोऽसौ गृध्रः संमुखमाययौ । कृतसंविदसौ पूर्वं स्वागतासनभोजनैः

Transliteration

svakulāyātprahṛṣṭo'sau gṛdhraḥ saṃmukhamāyayau | kṛtasaṃvidasau pūrvaṃ svāgatāsanabhojanaiḥ

Translation

സ്വന്തം വാസസ്ഥലത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ആനന്ദത്തോടെ ആ ഗൃധ്രൻ മുന്നിലേക്ക് വന്നു. മുൻപരിചയം ഉണ്ടായതിനാൽ അവർ സ്വാഗതം, ആസനം, ഭോജനം മുതലായവ നൽകി ആദരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• स्वकुलात्: from his own clan/home
• स्वकुलात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (स्वस्य कुलम्)

• प्रहृष्टः: delighted
• प्रहृष्टः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृष् (धातु)
• Form: प्र-उपसर्गयुक्त; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle, adjectival); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (दूरवाचक सर्वनाम)

• गृध्रः: the vulture
• गृध्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृध्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• संमुखम्: towards (them), face to face
• संमुखम्: Gati (Direction/गति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संमुख (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् अव्यय; दिशावाचक (towards/face to face)

• आययौ: came
• आययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: आ-

• कृतसंविदः: having made an agreement / having arranged (matters)
• कृतसंविदः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + संविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कृता संवित् येषाम्) विशेषण (तेषाम्)

• असौ: that (one)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: previously
• पूर्वम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly/before)

• स्वागतासनभोजनैः: with welcome, seats, and food (hospitality)
• स्वागतासनभोजनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वागत + आसन + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (स्वागतं च आसनं च भोजनं च)

Speaker

Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gandhamādana (abode-reception locus)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A venerable vulture emerges joyfully from his dwelling to greet the arriving companions; they exchange formal courtesies—welcome, offering of seats, and food—like an āśrama reception.

Characters & Entities

• Gṛdhra (vulture)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi-dharma (honoring guests) is a living virtue—welcome, seating, and feeding are treated as sacred duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised directly; the scene unfolds in the Gandhamādana setting introduced earlier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite; it models dharmic hospitality through welcome, offering a seat, and providing food.