Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 142

Devanagari script

न चैतदस्ति यत्तेषां नोपतिष्ठति किंचन । स्वप्ने यथाक्रम्य नरं दृश्यंते याचकाश्च ते

Transliteration

na caitadasti yatteṣāṃ nopatiṣṭhati kiṃcana | svapne yathākramya naraṃ dṛśyaṃte yācakāśca te

Translation

وليس الأمرُ أن لا يصلَ إليهم شيءٌ البتّة؛ فإنهم يُرَون حتى في المنام—يُقبلون على الرجل على الترتيب—كالمستعطين يطلبون ما قُدِّم من قربان.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• asti: is/exists
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yat: which/that
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-यत् (relative pronoun)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (genitive plural)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• upatiṣṭhati: is present/attends/comes near
• upatiṣṭhati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु) उपसर्गः उप-
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; उप+स्था = उपस्थित/उपस्थित होना

• kiṃcana: anything at all
• kiṃcana: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite)

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• yathā: as/just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: as/just as)

• ākramya: having approached/assailed
• ākramya: Kriya (Subordinate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√kram (क्रम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; उपसर्गः आ-; अर्थः ‘आक्रम्य/अतिक्रम्य’

• naram: a man
• naram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन

• dṛśyante: are seen/appear
• dṛśyante: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense: are seen)

• yācakāḥ: beggars/supplicants
• yācakāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yācaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Unspecified questioner (listener in the dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (frame, implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder asleep sees a line of ancestral figures approaching in orderly sequence like petitioners; the dream-space is luminous, with subtle offerings (water, sesame, fragrance) appearing as ethereal streams.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pitṛs are connected to descendants through subtle channels; dreams can reflect unresolved obligations and the call to perform śrāddha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse discusses Pitṛ-related experience (svapna) rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly encourages fulfilling Pitṛ obligations (śrāddha/tarpaṇa), suggested by their ‘supplicant-like’ appearance.