Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

स्वप्नोत्पातानिति बहूञ्शंसञ्शंसन्नितस्ततः । बहूनुच्चाटयांचक्रे स विघ्नेशः पुरौकसः

Transliteration

svapnotpātāniti bahūñśaṃsañśaṃsannitastataḥ | bahūnuccāṭayāṃcakre sa vighneśaḥ puraukasaḥ

Translation

ആ വിഘ്നേശൻ നഗരവാസികളിടയിൽ ഇവിടെ അവിടെ പല സ്വപ്ന-അപശകുനങ്ങൾ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചുകൊണ്ട്, ഭീതിയാൽ പലരെയും നഗരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഒഴിപ്പിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• स्वप्नोत्पातान्: dream-omens
• स्वप्नोत्पातान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्नोत्पात (प्रातिपदिक) = स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotative/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्तिसूचक निपात

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘(जनान्/वचनानि)’ इत्यध्याहार्य

• शंसन्: proclaiming
• शंसन्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शंस् (धातु); शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे

• शंसन्: repeatedly proclaiming
• शंसन्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शंस् (धातु); शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त
• Form: पुनरुक्त-शतृ (repeated participle)

• इतस्ततः: here and there
• इतस्ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इतस्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), दिशावाचक (here and there)

• बहून्: many (people)
• बहून्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘जनान्’ (people) इत्यर्थे

• उच्चाटयाम्: to drive away/expel
• उच्चाटयाम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उच्चाटय (णिजन्त-धातु; √चट्/√चाट् causative sense)
• Form: णमुल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerundial noun/infinitival), कर्मार्थे; ‘उच्चाटयितुम्’ इत्यर्थे

• चक्रे: did/undertook
• चक्रे: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• विघ्नेशः: Vighneśa (Lord of obstacles)
• विघ्नेशः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघ्नेश (प्रातिपदिक) = विघ्न (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुरौकसः: the city-dweller
• पुरौकसः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरौकस् (प्रातिपदिक) = पुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘नगरवासी’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure called 'Vighneśa' among townspeople moving through lanes, gesturing emphatically while recounting many dream-omens; crowds gather, then families depart with bundles, leaving streets emptier.

Characters & Entities

• svapnotpāta (dream-omens)
• Vighneśa
• puraukasaḥ (citizens)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear spreads quickly when ominous signs are amplified; discernment and dhārmic steadiness are required in times of crisis.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī remains the setting; the verse depicts how omens affect the sacred city’s populace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; it narrates social consequences of proclaiming omens.