Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण्युवाच । अभीष्टमेतदेवं मे यत्त्वं दृष्टोऽसि शंकर । स्वप्नेऽपि दर्शनं देव दुर्लभं ते नृणां यतः

Transliteration

brāhmaṇyuvāca | abhīṣṭametadevaṃ me yattvaṃ dṛṣṭo'si śaṃkara | svapne'pi darśanaṃ deva durlabhaṃ te nṛṇāṃ yataḥ

Translation

พราหมณีหญิงกล่าวว่า “ความปรารถนาอันเป็นที่รักของข้าพเจ้าเพียงประการเดียว คือได้เห็นพระองค์ โอ้ศังกรา ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า แม้ในความฝัน การได้ทัศนะของพระองค์ก็ยากยิ่งสำหรับมนุษย์”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणी: the brahmin woman
• ब्राह्मणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• अभीष्टम्: desired; wished-for
• अभीष्टम्: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभीष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √इष्/इच्छ्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता/विधेय), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Pradhana (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (this)

• एवम्: thus; indeed
• एवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner: thus)

• मे: my; for me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध) एकवचन (my/for me—contextual)

• यत्: that; since
• यत्: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative particle: that/inasmuch as)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः (seen)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

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

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (even/also)

• दर्शनम्: seeing; vision
• दर्शनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• दुर्लभम्: rare; hard to obtain
• दुर्लभम्: Pradhana (Predicate adjective/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/विधेय), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying दर्शनम्)

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men; for humans
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• यतः: because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक (because/since)

Speaker

Brāhmaṇī (the Brahmin woman/maiden)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇī with folded hands speaks with tearful joy, declaring that seeing Śaṅkara is her only wish; Śiva stands luminous, calm, and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Śaṅkara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The highest ‘wish’ for a devotee is darśana of the Lord; divine vision surpasses material boons.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is within a tīrtha-māhātmya narrative, but it does not specify the site in this statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse expresses the devotional valuation of darśana as the supreme fruit of practice.