Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । पितरः श्राद्धकामा ये वृद्धिं पश्यंति वा नृप । ते स्वप्ने दर्शनं यांति पुत्राणामिति नः श्रुतम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | pitaraḥ śrāddhakāmā ye vṛddhiṃ paśyaṃti vā nṛpa | te svapne darśanaṃ yāṃti putrāṇāmiti naḥ śrutam

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ କହିଲେ—ହେ ନୃପ! ଆମେ ଶୁଣିଛୁ ଯେ ଯେ ପିତୃମାନେ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ କାମନା କରନ୍ତି କିମ୍ବା ବୃଦ୍ଧି-ସମୃଦ୍ଧି ଦେଖନ୍ତି, ସେମାନେ ସ୍ୱପ୍ନରେ ପୁତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କୁ ଦର୍ଶନ ଦିଅନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पितरः: fathers/ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• श्राद्धकामा: desiring śrāddha (rites)
• श्राद्धकामा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्राद्ध + काम (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): श्राद्धस्य कामः = श्राद्धकामाḥ

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• वृद्धिम्: increase/prosperity
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); अन्वय (anaphoric pronoun)

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

• दर्शनम्: vision/sight
• दर्शनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुत्राणाम्: of (their) sons
• पुत्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

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

• नः: of us/our
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); एन्क्लिटिक रूप

• श्रुतम्: (it is) heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोगः: ‘श्रुतम् (अस्माभिः)’ = it has been heard

Speaker

Brahmins

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā-tīrtha where Gayā is said to abide (as per next verse)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa; Raghu-line implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council of brāhmaṇas addresses a king, explaining that ancestors appear in dreams when desiring śrāddha or witnessing prosperity; the mood is solemn, intimate, and instructive.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmins
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Rāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dream-appearance of ancestors is treated as a dharmic संकेत—often indicating the need for śrāddha and the strengthening of lineage-duty (pitṛ-ṛṇa).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is delivered within the Pitṛkūpikā episode, implying that this tīrtha is especially potent for pitṛ-related rites and signs.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha is indicated as the appropriate response when ancestors ‘desire śrāddha’ and reveal themselves through dreams.