Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

रासभारूढमात्मानं तैलाभ्यक्तं च मुंडितम् । नीयमानं यमाशां यः स्वप्ने पश्येत्स्वपूर्वजान्

Transliteration

rāsabhārūḍhamātmānaṃ tailābhyaktaṃ ca muṃḍitam | nīyamānaṃ yamāśāṃ yaḥ svapne paśyetsvapūrvajān

Translation

หากในความฝันผู้ใดเห็นตนขึ้นขี่ลา ถูกชโลมน้ำมันและโกนศีรษะ ถูกนำพาไปสู่ทิศแห่งพระยม และยังเห็นบรรพชนผู้ล่วงลับของตนด้วย—นั่นเป็นลางอันหนักหน่วงแห่งมรณภัยใกล้เข้ามา

Word by Word

• रासभारूढम्: mounted on a donkey
• रासभारूढम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रासभ (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; आ-रुह् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (P.P.P. ‘mounted’), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (रासभे आरूढः) विशेषणम् (आत्मानम्)

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• तैलाभ्यक्तम्: smeared with oil
• तैलाभ्यक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तैल (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; अभि-ञ्ज् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (P.P.P. ‘smeared’), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (तैलेन अभ्यक्तः) विशेषणम् (आत्मानम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (and)

• मुण्डितम्: shaved
• मुण्डितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुण्ड् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (P.P.P. ‘shaved’), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (आत्मानम्)

• नीयमानम्: being led
• नीयमानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: शानच्/मान-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (Present Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (आत्मानम्)

• यमाशाम्: to Yama’s direction/abode
• यमाशाम्: Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य आशा)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

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

• पश्येत्: should see
• पश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु; पश्य-आदेश)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• स्वपूर्वजान्: one’s ancestors/forefathers
• स्वपूर्वजान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (स्वस्य पूर्वजाः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark dream procession: the dreamer, shaven and oil-smeared, sits on a donkey while shadowy attendants lead him toward the southern quarter; behind, pale ancestral figures appear, watching silently—half blessing, half summons.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Pitṛs (forefathers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The approach of death is depicted vividly so that one may detach, reconcile duties, and seek the Divine without postponement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to the Kāśī-khaṇḍa context (Kāśī/Varanasi), whose overarching theme is liberation and right preparation for death.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is commanded here; oil-anointing and shaving appear as symbolic dream markers rather than prescriptions.