Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

मोहिन्युवाच । आदौ ह्यभ्यागताः पूज्या इति वै वैदिकी श्रुतिः

Transliteration

mohinyuvāca | ādau hyabhyāgatāḥ pūjyā iti vai vaidikī śrutiḥ

Translation

മോഹിനി പറഞ്ഞു—‘വൈദിക ശ്രുതി പറയുന്നു: ആദ്യം വന്ന അതിഥികളെയാണ് ആദ്യം പൂജിക്കേണ്ടത്.’

Word by Word

• मोहिनी: Mohinī
• मोहिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Time/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'at first/in the beginning'; सप्तमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययीभूत)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• अभ्यागताः: those who have come (guests)
• अभ्यागताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यागत (कृदन्त; अभि-√गम् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• पूज्याः: are to be honored
• पूज्याः: Viśeṣya (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (कृदन्त; √पूज् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भाव्य (gerundive: 'worthy of worship')

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: इत्यादि-निपात (quotative)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• वैदिकी: Vedic
• वैदिकी: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• श्रुतिः: scriptural revelation (Śruti)
• श्रुतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Mohinī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Brāhmaṇas (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Mohinī raises a hand in gentle instruction, quoting śruti: ‘Guests who arrive first must be honored first,’ establishing ritual-social order before distributing amṛta.

Characters & Entities

• Mohinī
• Śruti (Vedic revelation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality (atithi-satkāra) is upheld as a Vedic duty and a hallmark of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra is the textual setting (Kedārakhaṇḍa), but the verse specifically highlights dharma of honoring guests.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is ethical-ritual: honor the arrivals/guests first, as supported by Vedic authority.