Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

योगीन्द्रं श्वपचं वापि अतिथिं न विचारयेत् । तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य यजमानपुरोगमाः

Transliteration

yogīndraṃ śvapacaṃ vāpi atithiṃ na vicārayet | tacchrutvā vacanaṃ tasya yajamānapurogamāḥ

Translation

अतिथी योगींद्र असो वा श्वपच असो, त्याचा भेद करू नये। त्याचे वचन ऐकून यजमानाच्या पुढे असलेले सर्व…

Word by Word

• योगीन्द्रम्: the lord of yogis
• योगीन्द्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योगीन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक; योगिन् + इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (योगिनाम् इन्द्रः)

• श्वपचम्: a dog-cooker (outcaste)
• श्वपचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वपच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (particle: 'also/even')

• अतिथिम्: a guest
• अतिथिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• विचारयेत्: should consider/examine
• विचारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातुः—चर्, उपसर्गः—वि

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (तत् + श्रुत्वा इति संधिविच्छेदः)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’ = having heard

• वचनम्: statement/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that person
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• यजमानपुरोगमाः: those led by the sacrificer
• यजमानपुरोगमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमानपुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक; यजमान + पुरोगम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—बहुव्रीहि (‘यजमानः पुरोगमः येषाम्’ = having the sacrificer in front)

Speaker

A virtuous brāhmaṇa (continuation; explicit dharma rule)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacrificial enclosure near the Revā; a guest arrives whose outer identity is ambiguous—either a radiant yogin or an outcaste—while attendants hesitate; the teaching is spoken as a dharma-injunction.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Yogīndra
• Śvapaca
• Yajamāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality is unconditional: an atithi must be honored without social discrimination, because dharma is tested through conduct toward the vulnerable and unknown.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Revā-kṣetra is the narrative backdrop; the verse teaches a universal dharma principle within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not 'evaluate' (vicāra) a guest by status; offer proper respect/service irrespective of caste or appearance.