Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 78

Devanagari script

अभ्यागतानामौचित्यादातिथ्यं च विधीयताम् । तीर्थयात्राप्रसंगेन समेतानां महात्मनाम्

Transliteration

abhyāgatānāmaucityādātithyaṃ ca vidhīyatām | tīrthayātrāprasaṃgena sametānāṃ mahātmanām

Translation

അഭ്യാഗതരായെത്തുന്നവർക്ക് യോജിച്ച വിധത്തിൽ അതിഥിസത്കാരം വിധിപൂർവ്വം നടത്തപ്പെടട്ടെ—പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് തീർത്ഥയാത്രാസന്ദർഭത്തിൽ ഇവിടെ സമാഗമിച്ച മഹാത്മാക്കൾക്ക്।

Word by Word

• अभ्यागतानाम्: of the arrived guests
• अभ्यागतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्यागत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + अभि-आ- उपसर्ग)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘अभ्यागत’ (आगत/आगन्तुक) कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक

• औचित्यात्: from propriety; due to appropriateness
• औचित्यात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औचित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन (Singular)

• आतिथ्यम्: hospitality
• आतिथ्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordinator/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विधीयताम्: let it be ordained / should be done
• विधीयताम्: Vidhi (Injunctive predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धा (धातु) + वि- उपसर्ग
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थयात्राप्रसङ्गेन: by occasion of pilgrimage
• तीर्थयात्राप्रसङ्गेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ + यात्रा + प्रसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुषः; ‘तीर्थयात्रायाः प्रसङ्गः’), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• समेतानाम्: of those assembled
• समेतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समेत (कृदन्त; √इ (धातु) + सम्- उपसर्ग; ‘सम्-एत’ = together-come)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled (sages)
• महात्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Soma (the Moon-god), addressing the dvijas/ritual leaders at Prabhāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim caravan arrives at Prabhāsa: townspeople welcome them with water pots, garlands, lamps; a few ascetics/mahātmans are offered seats and shade; the temple and sea form the backdrop.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• tīrthayātrā
• mahātmā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Honouring pilgrims through hospitality is itself a sacred act that sustains the holiness of a tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, depicted as a pilgrimage hub where arriving devotees must be received properly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Provide ātithya (food, shelter, respectful reception) to pilgrims and visiting mahātmas.