Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

कुरुष्व त्वं ममातिथ्यं गृहप्राप्तस्य पर्वत । आत्मपुत्रप्रदानेन कीर्तिं प्राप्स्यस्यलौकिकीम्

Transliteration

kuruṣva tvaṃ mamātithyaṃ gṛhaprāptasya parvata | ātmaputrapradānena kīrtiṃ prāpsyasyalaukikīm

Translation

ഹേ പർവ്വതമേ! നിന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിലെത്തിയ എന്നെ അതിഥിയായി സത്കരിക്കൂ; സ്വന്തം പുത്രനെ അർപ്പിച്ചതാൽ നീ ലോകാതീതമായ, ലോകപ്രസിദ്ധമായ കീർത്തി നേടും।

Word by Word

• कुरुष्व: do / perform
• कुरुष्व: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (कुरु + स्व/उपसर्गात्मक-निपातः, आज्ञार्थे)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality
• आतिथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गृहप्राप्तस्य: of (one) who has reached the house / arrived home
• गृहप्राप्तस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √प्राप्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle) ‘प्राप्त’; सप्तमी/द्वितीया-तत्पुरुषार्थे (गृहं प्राप्तः) ; विशेषण (अतिथेः/मम)

• पर्वत: O mountain
• पर्वत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• आत्मपुत्रप्रदानेन: by the giving of (your) own son
• आत्मपुत्रप्रदानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (आत्मनः पुत्रस्य प्रदानम्)

• कीर्तिम्: fame
• कीर्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will obtain
• प्राप्स्यसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्/प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अलौकिकीम्: unworldly, extraordinary
• अलौकिकीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलौकिकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (कीर्तिम्)

Speaker

Sahasrākṣa (Śakra/Indra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgabīla (implied destination)

Type: cave

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Indra, as honored guest, asks Himālaya to host him and to offer Raktaśṛṅga’s service, promising extraordinary worldly fame.

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Himālaya (the Mountain)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Atithi-dharma (honouring a guest) is praised as a powerful virtue that leads to lasting, even extraordinary, renown and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya sequence pointing toward Nāgabila (named later), preparing the sacred-geography context rather than naming the tirtha directly here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No formal rite is prescribed; the dharmic act emphasized is guest-honour, framed as an offering of service through one’s son.