Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अद्य स्वप्ने मया विप्राः प्रियालापपरः पिता । अतिहृष्टमना दृष्टः श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनः

Transliteration

adya svapne mayā viprāḥ priyālāpaparaḥ pitā | atihṛṣṭamanā dṛṣṭaḥ śvetamālyānulepanaḥ

Translation

“ഇന്ന്, ഹേ ബ്രാഹ്മണന്മാരേ, സ്വപ്നത്തിൽ ഞാൻ പിതാവിനെ കണ്ടു—സ്നേഹവചനങ്ങളിൽ തൽപരനായി, അത്യന്തം ഹർഷിതചിത്തനായി, ശ്വേതമാലകളും അനുലേപനങ്ങളും ധരിച്ച്।”

Word by Word

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक) — ‘today/this day’

• स्वप्ने: in a dream
• स्वप्ने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Agent-instrumental/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘by me’

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

• प्रियालापपरः: intent on dear conversation
• प्रियालापपरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय + आलाप + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — प्रियालापे परः (intent on dear talk)

• पिता: father (Daśaratha)
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• अतिहृष्टमना: very joyful-minded
• अतिहृष्टमना: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति + हृष्ट + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — अतिहृष्टं मनः यस्य (whose mind is very delighted)

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/कर्मणि-प्रयोग)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘seen’ (predicate with implied ‘अहम्’)

• श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनः: adorned with white garlands and unguents
• श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत + माल्य + अनुलेपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — श्वेतं माल्यं च अनुलेपनं च यस्य (having white garlands and unguents)

Speaker

Rāma (addressing the Brahmins)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvija-sattamāḥ)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rāma speaks to brāhmaṇas, describing Daśaratha’s dream-form: joyful, engaged in loving speech, adorned with white garlands and fragrant unguents; brāhmaṇas listen attentively.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Brahmins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious signs regarding ancestors—joyful appearance and pure adornments—can indicate receptivity to pitṛ-offerings and dharmic attention.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pitṛkūpikā is the contextual tīrtha, presented as a place where pitṛ-related signs and merits manifest.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription in this verse; it presents the dream-details that prompt inquiry about śrāddha and pitṛ-rites.