Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने वानरयानेन यत्त्वमूढोसि दक्षिणाम् । अतस्तद्वंचनोपायः पुरत्यागो महामते

Transliteration

svapne vānarayānena yattvamūḍhosi dakṣiṇām | atastadvaṃcanopāyaḥ puratyāgo mahāmate

Translation

Puisque, dans le rêve, dans ton égarement, tu fus porté vers le sud sur un véhicule de singe, le moyen d’écarter ce présage est donc d’abandonner la cité, ô sage.

Word by Word

• स्वप्ने: in a dream
• स्वप्ने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; masculine, locative singular

• वानर: monkey
• वानर: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); masculine, nominative/accusative singular (compound member)

• यानेन: by a monkey-vehicle
• यानेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; neuter, instrumental singular; समासः: वानर-यान (तत्पुरुष: 'monkey-vehicle')

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun, neuter nom/acc sg

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; pronoun, nominative singular

• मूढः: confused, deluded
• मूढः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Subject complement/कर्तृसमाना)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular

• असि: are
• असि: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; present, 2nd person singular, active

• दक्षिणाम्: to the south / right side
• दक्षिणाम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; feminine, accusative singular

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Discourse link/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक/तस्मात्-अर्थक अव्यय (therefore)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); pronoun, neuter nom/acc sg (compound member)

• वंचन: deception, trick
• वंचन: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); neuter nom/acc sg (compound member)

• उपायः: the means (to avert/handle) that deception
• उपायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular; समासः: तत्-वंचन-उपाय (तत्पुरुष: 'means for that deception')

• पुर: city
• पुर: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर्/पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (समासाङ्ग); feminine (or neuter in usage), compound member

• त्यागः: abandonment (of the city)
• त्यागः: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्याग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; masculine, nominative singular; समासः: पुर-त्याग (तत्पुरुष: 'abandoning the city')

• महा: great
• महा: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् पूर्वपद (समासाङ्ग)

• मते: O great-minded one
• मते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; masculine, vocative singular; समासः: महा-मते (कर्मधारय: 'O great-minded one')

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dream image of a bewildered man borne south on a monkey-vehicle; in waking counsel, a sage points outward from the city gate, advising abandonment of the city as the countermeasure.

Characters & Entities

• Vānara (monkey)
• Dakṣiṇa (south)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When danger-signs intensify, prudent action and timely withdrawal can be dharmic—protecting life and order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative world; the verse emphasizes protective counsel rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A practical apotropaic measure is given: ‘pura-tyāga’ (leaving the city) as the stated means to avert the omen.