Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

तदंबुपिच्छिले पंके मग्नोन्मग्नोसि भूरिशः । दुःस्वप्नस्यास्य च महान्विपाकोति भयप्रदः

Transliteration

tadaṃbupicchile paṃke magnonmagnosi bhūriśaḥ | duḥsvapnasyāsya ca mahānvipākoti bhayapradaḥ

Translation

水に濡れて滑るその泥の中で、汝は幾度も沈み、また浮かび上がる。この悪夢の果（vipāka）はまことに重く、甚だ恐れを与える。

Word by Word

• तत्: in that
• तत्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (locative demonstrative)

• अम्बु-पिच्छिले: slimy with water
• अम्बु-पिच्छिले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अम्बु (प्रातिपदिक) + पिच्छिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (अम्बुना पिच्छिलः = watery/slimy)

• पङ्के: in the mire/mud
• पङ्के: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• मग्न-उन्मग्नः: sinking and resurfacing
• मग्न-उन्मग्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मग्न (कृदन्त, √मज्ज्) + उन्मग्न (कृदन्त, √मज्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (sinking and rising)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन

• भूरिशः: O lord/abundant one
• भूरिशः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूरिश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; संबोधनार्थे (addressing)

• दुःस्वप्नस्य: of (this) bad dream
• दुःस्वप्नस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःस्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विपाकः: result/consequence
• विपाकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/निगमन-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• भय-प्रदः: fear-giving
• भय-प्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (कृदन्त, √दा/√प्रदा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (भयं प्रददाति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context: Skanda speaking to Agastya/kingly interlocutor)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dream-vision: a figure repeatedly sinking and rising in a water-slick mud pit, hands reaching out, with a distant silhouette of Kāśī’s ghāṭas and a faint liṅga-lamp glow suggesting salvation beyond fear.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī (implied by Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disturbing dreams and inner turmoil are treated as warnings; a ruler should respond with dharmic vigilance rather than negligence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader frame is Kāśī in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse itself focuses on the ominous dream rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it functions as an omen-description (swapna/utpāta) indicating danger.