Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

अथाऽवलोकयामास स्वप्ने दशरथं नृपम् । यद्वत्पूर्वं प्रियाऽलापसंसक्तं हृष्टमानसम्

Transliteration

athā'valokayāmāsa svapne daśarathaṃ nṛpam | yadvatpūrvaṃ priyā'lāpasaṃsaktaṃ hṛṣṭamānasam

Translation

Then, in a dream, he beheld King Daśaratha—just as before—his heart rejoicing, absorbed in affectionate conversation.

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Adhikarana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अनन्तरार्थक) — ‘then/now’

• अवलोकयामास: beheld
• अवलोकयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘saw/beheld’ (periphrastic perfect)

• स्वप्ने: in a dream
• स्वप्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• दशरथम्: Daśaratha
• दशरथम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• नृपम्: the king
• नृपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — apposition to ‘दशरथम्’

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Comparative/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानार्थक) — ‘as/just as’

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘formerly/before’

• प्रियालापसंसक्तम्: absorbed in dear conversation
• प्रियालापसंसक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय + आलाप + संसक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — प्रियस्य आलापे संसक्तः (attached to beloved talk)

• हृष्टमानसम्: with a joyful mind
• हृष्टमानसम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृष्ट + मानस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — हृष्टं मानसं यस्य (with delighted mind)

Speaker

Sūta (continuing narration)

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dream-visions can function as dharmic संकेत (omens), pointing the devotee toward ancestral duties and tīrtha-based merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pitṛkūpikā is the implied tīrtha context in which the pitṛ-related dream occurs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not explicit here; the dream sets up the interpretation that leads toward śrāddha-related action.