Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अब्रवीच्च ततो वाक्यं स्वागतं ते महीपते । वद कृत्यं करोम्येव गृहायातस्य यच्च ते

Transliteration

abravīcca tato vākyaṃ svāgataṃ te mahīpate | vada kṛtyaṃ karomyeva gṛhāyātasya yacca te

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹം പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ മഹീപതേ, നിനക്കു സ്വാഗതം. എന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ വന്ന നിനക്കു വേണ്ടത് എന്തോ പറയുക; ഞാൻ തീർച്ചയായും ചെയ്യും.”

Word by Word

• अब्रवीत्: (he) said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikaraṇa (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, अपादान/क्रमबोधक (then/from there)

• वाक्यम्: speech, words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्वागतम्: welcome
• स्वागतम्: Karma (Utterance content/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वागत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); आशीर्वचन/सम्बोधनार्थ प्रयोग (as greeting)

• ते: to you/your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• महीपते: O king
• महीपते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वद: tell, speak
• वद: Kriyā (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कृत्यम्: what is to be done, task
• कृत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• करोमि: I do
• करोमि: Kriyā (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• एव: indeed, surely
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/अवधारण अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• गृहायातस्य: of (you) who have come home
• गृहायातस्य: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह-आयात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ-या (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग सम्भव (context: of one who has come home)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Relative object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha (implied by hospitality context; speaker not tagged in verse but indicated by narrative flow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene hermitage entrance: a sage or householder-ascetic greets a royal visitor with folded hands, offering assistance; forest shade contrasts with the heat outside.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Viśvāmitra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma expresses itself as readiness to serve and honor a guest, regardless of status, thereby preserving sacred order.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The verse reflects the sanctity of an āśrama as a dharmic refuge; the precise tīrtha name is not stated here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite beyond the ethic of welcoming and offering appropriate assistance to an arriving guest.