Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

अद्यापि प्रत्ययस्तत्र कार्य एष विजानता । भूतं भावि भवत्सर्वं वदेत्स्वप्नेश्वरी निशि

Transliteration

adyāpi pratyayastatra kārya eṣa vijānatā | bhūtaṃ bhāvi bhavatsarvaṃ vadetsvapneśvarī niśi

Translation

Even today, one who understands should undertake this confirmatory practice there. At night Svapneśvarī speaks—of what has been, what will be, and all that pertains to one’s present condition.

Word by Word

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• अपि: still/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (also/still)

• प्रत्ययः: assurance/confirmation
• प्रत्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: there)

• कार्यः: to be done/should be performed
• कार्यः: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विजानता: by the knower
• विजानता: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; ‘विजानता’ = by one who knows

• भूतम्: the past
• भूतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भावि: the future
• भावि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• भवत्: the present
• भवत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘भवत्’ = present/being

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘भूतं भावि भवत्’ इत्यस्य विशेषण

• वदेत्: should tell/declare
• वदेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वप्नेश्वरी: the Lady of Dreams (goddess)
• स्वप्नेश्वरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; स्वप्नस्य ईश्वरी = स्वप्न-ईश्वरी (तत्पुरुष)

• निशि: at night
• निशि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Svapneśvarī (Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night in Kāśī: the devotee sleeps after observance; Svapneśvarī appears in a luminous dream, speaking tri-temporal truths (bhūta-bhavi-bhavat).

Characters & Entities

• Svapneśvarī
• Kāśī (contextual)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guidance is framed as experiential: the tradition invites the seeker to test and confirm the Goddess’s grace through disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Svapneśvarī sacred site in Kāśī where the dream-oracular grace is said to manifest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform the ‘pratyaya’ (confirmatory) observance at that place—implying the prior steps of worship and disciplined conduct described earlier.