Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अतिथिर्यत्र संप्राप्तः श्राद्धकाल उपस्थिते । अपूजितो गृहाद्याति तच्छ्राद्धं प्रेततृप्तिदम्

Transliteration

atithiryatra saṃprāptaḥ śrāddhakāla upasthite | apūjito gṛhādyāti tacchrāddhaṃ pretatṛptidam

Translation

เมื่อถึงกาลศราทธะ หากมีแขกมาถึงโดยไม่คาดคิด แล้วจากเรือนไปโดยมิได้รับการบูชาและต้อนรับด้วยความเคารพ—ศราทธะนั้นย่อมเป็นสิ่งยังความอิ่มเอมแก่เหล่าเปรต

Word by Word

• अतिथिः: a guest
• अतिथिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (where)

• संप्राप्तः: having arrived
• संप्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + √प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (past participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• श्राद्धकालः: the time of śrāddha
• श्राद्धकालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: श्राद्धस्य कालः

• उपस्थिते: when (it) has come/at the arrival
• उपस्थिते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + √स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः, पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when (it) has arrived’

• अपूजितः: not honoured
• अपूजितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + पूजित (√पूज् क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः, पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; नञ्-समासार्थः: ‘not honoured’

• गृहात्: from the house
• गृहात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (5th/Ablative), एकवचनम्

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अनुवादक-विशेषणम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• प्रेततृप्तिदम्: giving satisfaction to the pretas
• प्रेततृप्तिदम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + तृप्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा ‘to give’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समासः: प्रेतानां तृप्तिं ददाति इति

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At śrāddha time, a traveler-guest arrives; the householder, preoccupied with ritual, lets him leave unhonored; pretas immediately gather around the śrāddha offerings, visibly ‘satisfied’.

Characters & Entities

• Atithi
• Śrāddha
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality is a pillar of dharma; neglecting a guest at sacred times reverses the merit of ritual acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse teaches household dharma within the Mahātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Honor and receive guests properly, even during śrāddha time, so the rite retains its intended fruit.