Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

शोभनाशोभनाकारं तं मन्येत प्रजापतिम् । अनित्यं हि स्थितो यस्मात्तस्मादतिथिरुच्यते

Transliteration

śobhanāśobhanākāraṃ taṃ manyeta prajāpatim | anityaṃ hi sthito yasmāttasmādatithirucyate

Translation

Sama ada tampak elok atau tidak elok, tetamu itu hendaklah dianggap sebagai Prajāpati sendiri. Kerana dia singgah hanya sementara dan tidak kekal, maka itulah sebabnya dia disebut ‘atithi’.

Word by Word

• शोभनाशोभनाकारम्: having a fair or foul form
• शोभनाशोभनाकारम्: Karmaviśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभन + अशोभन + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-प्रायः (शोभनाकारः वा अशोभनाकारः) विशेषण (qualifying ‘तम्/प्रजापतिम्’)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मन्येत: should consider/regard
• मन्येत: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• प्रजापतिम्: Prajāpati (lord of creatures)
• प्रजापतिम्: Karma (Object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रजायाः पतिः)

• अनित्यम्: impermanent
• अनित्यम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/Viśeṣaṇa (Predicative qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘रूपम्/स्वरूपम्’ or predicative to ‘स्थितः’)

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• स्थितः: staying/remaining
• स्थितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; (अतिथि-विषयक)

• यस्मात्: because/from which (reason)
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; हेतु/कारणार्थे

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; तस्मात् = therefore

• अतिथिः: a guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called/said
• उच्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa instructional discourse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guest of ambiguous, even rough appearance stands at the door; the householder, serene and unwavering, beholds him as Prajāpati—subtle divine radiance overlays the guest’s form, indicating hidden divinity.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Prajāpati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One must honor the guest as divine regardless of outward appearance, because the guest’s transient arrival is a sacred test of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the verse sacralizes the act of receiving guests as a dharmic pilgrimage within one’s home.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mental and ethical injunction: regard the guest as Prajāpati and honor him without discrimination based on appearance.