Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अर्घेण शंभुः पाद्येन सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । भोज्यदानेन विष्णुः स्यात्सर्वदेवमयोऽतिथिः

Transliteration

argheṇa śaṃbhuḥ pādyena sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | bhojyadānena viṣṇuḥ syātsarvadevamayo'tithiḥ

Translation

ด้วยการถวายอรฺฆยะ ย่อมบูชาพระศัมภู; ด้วยการถวายน้ำล้างพระบาท (ปาทยะ) ย่อมบูชาเทพทั้งปวงพร้อมพระอินทร์; และด้วยการให้ทานภัตตาหาร ย่อมบูชาพระวิษณุ—เพราะแขกผู้มาเยือนเป็นที่รวมแห่งเทพทั้งสิ้น

Word by Word

• argheṇa: by (offering) arghya
• argheṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: argha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by arghya-offering)

• śaṃbhuḥ: Śambhu (Śiva)
• śaṃbhuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṃbhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; Nominative singular (Śiva)

• pādyena: by (offering) pādya (water for feet)
• pādyena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; Instrumental singular (by water for washing feet)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (all)

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन; Nominative plural (gods)

• sa-vāsavāḥ: together with Indra
• sa-vāsavāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय-उपसर्ग/सह) + vāsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहि/सह-समासार्थ: ‘with Vāsava (Indra)’

• bhojya-dānena: by giving food
• bhojya-dānena: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhojya (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (भोज्यस्य दानम्) = भोज्यदानम्; Instrumental singular (by giving food)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; Nominative singular (Viṣṇu)

• syāt: becomes / is (to be regarded as)
• syāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस्, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/विधान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘would be/should be’

• sarva-deva-mayaḥ: consisting of all gods
• sarva-deva-mayaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वदेवमयः = consisting of all gods)

• atithiḥ: guest
• atithiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: atithi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; Nominative singular (guest)

Speaker

Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator; not explicitly named in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A host performs three offerings to a guest: arghya in a small vessel, pādya water for feet, and a meal; above the guest appear subtle divine overlays—Śiva, the devas with Indra, and Viṣṇu—showing the guest as sarvadevamaya.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)
• Indra (Vāsava)
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Serving a guest is direct worship: different acts of reception correspond to honoring major deities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is embedded in the Śrīhāṭa–Keśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya, presenting tīrtha-piety as lived devotion through hospitality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer arghya, pādya, and food to the guest, understanding these as deity-pleasing offerings.