Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

गृहस्थैश्च सदा भाव्यं यावज्जीवं क्रियापरैः । पंचयज्ञरतैश्चैवातिथिद्विजसुपूजकैः

Transliteration

gṛhasthaiśca sadā bhāvyaṃ yāvajjīvaṃ kriyāparaiḥ | paṃcayajñarataiścaivātithidvijasupūjakaiḥ

Translation

Para perumah tangga hendaklah sentiasa hidup—sepanjang hayat—berpegang pada tata laku yang benar, tekun dalam lima yajña agung, serta memuliakan tetamu dan golongan dvija dengan penghormatan yang wajar.

Word by Word

• गृहस्थैः: by householders
• गृहस्थैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• भाव्यम्: should be (done/maintained)
• भाव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (तव्यत्/यत्-भाव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (gerundive: ought to be)

• यावत्: as long as
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (until/as long as)

• जीवम्: life (for one’s lifetime)
• जीवम्: Adhikarana (Extent/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (accusative of extent of time: for life)

• क्रियापरैः: by those devoted to duties/rites
• क्रियापरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रिया-पर (प्रातिपदिक; क्रिया + पर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहस्थैः); तत्पुरुष (क्रियायां परः = devoted to rites)

• पञ्चयज्ञरतैः: by those engaged in the five sacrifices
• पञ्चयज्ञरतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च-यज्ञ-रत (प्रातिपदिक; पञ्च + यज्ञ + रत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहस्थैः); ‘पञ्चयज्ञ’ (द्विगु) + ‘रत’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• अतिथिद्विजसुपूजकैः: by those who honor guests and Brahmins well
• अतिथिद्विजसुपूजकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतिथि-द्विज-सु-पूजक (प्रातिपदिक; अतिथि + द्विज + सु + पूजक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (गृहस्थैः); अतिथि-द्विजयोः द्वन्द्व, तयोः ‘सु-पूजक’ (कर्मधारय) समासान्त

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder couple performing pañca-yajñas: small fire offering, Veda recitation, feeding a guest-brāhmaṇa, offering to animals/birds, and water-libation for ancestors—set near a pilgrim rest-house.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The gṛhastha path is sanctified by lifelong discipline: pañca-yajñas, hospitality, and reverence toward the learned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general dharma teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya flow; it does not name a specific sacred site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of the pañca-yajñas and proper honoring of guests (atithi) and dvijas.