Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने वानरयानेन यत्त्वमूढोसि दक्षिणाम् । अतस्तद्वंचनोपायः पुरत्यागो महामते

Transliteration

svapne vānarayānena yattvamūḍhosi dakṣiṇām | atastadvaṃcanopāyaḥ puratyāgo mahāmate

Translation

സ്വപ്നത്തിൽ നീ വാനരയാനത്തിൽ മോഹിതനായി തെക്കോട്ടു കൊണ്ടുപോകപ്പെട്ടു; അതിനാൽ, ഹേ മഹാമതേ, ആ അശുഭം ഒഴിവാക്കാനുള്ള മാർഗം നഗരത്യാഗം തന്നെയാണ്.

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.