Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

गोदेवगुरुविप्रेषु भक्तिमान्भव सर्वदा । चांडालमपि संप्राप्तं सदा संभावयातिथिम्

Transliteration

godevaguruvipreṣu bhaktimānbhava sarvadā | cāṃḍālamapi saṃprāptaṃ sadā saṃbhāvayātithim

Translation

当常怀敬信于牛、诸天（Deva）、师长与婆罗门（Brāhmaṇa）。纵有贱民来至，亦当恒以宾客之礼敬待。

Word by Word

• गोदेवगुरुविप्रेषु: among cows, gods, teachers, and brāhmaṇas
• गोदेवगुरुविप्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो + देव + गुरु + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective dvandva) समास; पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भक्तिमान्: devoted
• भक्तिमान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भक्ति + मत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भव: be
• भव: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• चाण्डालम्: a caṇḍāla (outcaste)
• चाण्डालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle relation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (particle: even/also)

• सम्प्राप्तम्: who has come; arrived
• सम्प्राप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• सम्भावय: honour; treat with respect
• सम्भावय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भावय् (धातु; भावयति-णिच्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• अतिथिम्: guest
• अतिथिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified elder/teacher figure in Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (didactic instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: General addressee (disciple/son figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder welcomes an unexpected guest of humble appearance with water-pot and food; cows stand nearby; a guru and a Brāhmaṇa are shown receiving respectful salutations, indicating the fourfold devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Guru
• Vipra
• Go (cow)
• Atithi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to sacred pillars of dharma (cow, Deva, guru, vipra) and unwavering hospitality to any guest.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; it is a universal dharma teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-pūjā (honoring the guest) is prescribed as a continual religious duty.