Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ततश्च चिन्तयामास किमेतत्स्वप्नदर्शनम् । चित्तभ्रमोऽथवाऽस्माकमिन्द्रजालमथापि वा

Transliteration

tataśca cintayāmāsa kimetatsvapnadarśanam | cittabhramo'thavā'smākamindrajālamathāpi vā

Translation

Alors il se mit à réfléchir : «Est-ce une vision de rêve ? Ou bien un égarement de l’esprit ? Ou encore quelque prestidigitation d’illusion magique ?»

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• चिन्तयामास: he pondered; he thought
• चिन्तयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; परिप्रयोगः (आमास-प्रत्यययुक्त)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; 'this'

• स्वप्नदर्शनम्: a dream-vision; seeing in a dream
• स्वप्नदर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वप्नस्य दर्शनम्)

• चित्तभ्रमः: delusion of the mind
• चित्तभ्रमः: Karta (Predicate-Noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक) + bhrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चित्तस्य भ्रमः)

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/alternative particle)

• अस्माकम्: of us; our
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• इन्द्रजालम्: magic; illusion
• इन्द्रजालम्: Karta (Predicate-Noun/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक) + jāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रस्य जालम् / इन्द्रजाल = माया/जादू)

• अथ: or; then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/विकल्पार्थे)

• अपि: also; even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/अपि-कार)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/alternative particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary man in morning light, hand to chin, brows furrowed—debating whether the night’s experience was dream, mental confusion, or magic.

Characters & Entities

• svapna (dream)
• indrajāla (illusion/magic)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The proper response to the marvelous is inquiry and discernment; not everything perceived is ultimately real or lasting.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-mahātmya narrative, but the specific location is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an internal reflection that advances the plot toward revelation.