Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

दूरतोपि पताकापि मम प्रासादमूर्धगा । नेत्रातिथी कृता यैस्तु नित्यं तेऽतिथयो मम

Transliteration

dūratopi patākāpi mama prāsādamūrdhagā | netrātithī kṛtā yaistu nityaṃ te'tithayo mama

Translation

దూరమునుండికూడా నా ప్రాసాదశిఖరంపై ఉన్న పతాకను నేత్రాతిథిగా చేసుకొనువారు, వారు నిత్యము నా అతిథులే అవుతారు।

Word by Word

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• पताका: a flag
• पताका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

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

• प्रासादमूर्धगा: standing on the palace-roof
• प्रासादमूर्धगा: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रासाद-मूर्धग (प्रातिपदिक; components: प्रासाद + मूर्धग)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (locative/adhikaraṇa sense: ‘going/being on the palace-top’)

• नेत्रातिथी: a guest to the eyes (a pleasing sight)
• नेत्रातिथी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र-अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक; components: नेत्र + अतिथि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘guest of the eyes’ = sight)

• कृता: made
• कृता: Kriya (Predicative participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थ (‘made’)

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Agent/instrument in passive sense/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन प्रयुक्तम् (adverbial accusative)

• ते: they/those (people)
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अतिथयः: guests
• अतिथयः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, addressing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (prāsāda-patākā-darśana)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Narrative interlocutor in Kāśīkhaṇḍa (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From a distant ghat or narrow lane, a devotee spots the fluttering temple-flag high above rooftops; the flag seems to ‘look back,’ symbolizing the Lord’s invitation, while the devotee’s eyes become a ritual threshold of hospitality.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Prāsāda
• Patākā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional attention itself is hospitality to the Divine; when one ‘hosts’ the sacred sign in the eyes, the Lord reciprocates by accepting the devotee as His own guest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī, through the emblematic temple/palace flag visible even from a distance.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A simple devotional observance: behold the temple flag (patākā) with reverence, even while approaching from afar.