Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

आतिथ्येनार्चितो विप्रो दास्यते च महोदयम् । गृहिणी न गृहे यस्य सत्पात्रागमनं वृथा

Transliteration

ātithyenārcito vipro dāsyate ca mahodayam | gṛhiṇī na gṛhe yasya satpātrāgamanaṃ vṛthā

Translation

婆罗门若以待客之礼（ātithya）受敬奉，便赐予大福与兴盛；然若家中无真正的主妇持家，则贤善贵客的到来亦成徒然。

Word by Word

• आतिथ्येन: by hospitality
• आतिथ्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular (by means of hospitality)

• अर्चितः: honoured
• अर्चितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) → अर्चित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त — Past passive participle, nominative singular

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• दास्यते: will give
• दास्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — will give (for himself/benefit)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय — conjunction ‘and’

• महोदयम्: great prosperity/benefit
• महोदयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — Accusative singular (object)

• गृहिणी: the housewife
• गृहिणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय — negation particle

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular (whose)

• सत्पात्रागमनम्: the arrival of a worthy guest
• सत्पात्रागमनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक) + पात्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आगमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः ‘सत्पात्रस्य आगमनम्’ — the coming of a worthy recipient

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb ‘in vain’

Speaker

Kṛṣṇa (Bhagavān) addressing Rukmiṇī

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (atithi-satkāra within kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic palace-household scene: Kṛṣṇa instructs, while Rukmiṇī and attendants prepare arghya, pādya, āsana, and food; the verse’s moral weight is shown through orderly hospitality arrangements.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Rukmiṇī
• Brāhmaṇa (vipra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hospitality to the virtuous is a pillar of gṛhastha-dharma and becomes a channel for blessing, merit, and upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā indirectly—its māhātmya is shown through living dharma: honoring guests and saints who arrive at its tīrthas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Atithi-satkāra: respectfully receiving and honoring a brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi guest, implying offerings of food, water, and reverence.