Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तदस्यां कूपिकायां च स्वयमेव गया स्थिता । तेन त्वया पिता दृष्टः स्वप्ने श्राद्धस्य वांछकः

Transliteration

tadasyāṃ kūpikāyāṃ ca svayameva gayā sthitā | tena tvayā pitā dṛṣṭaḥ svapne śrāddhasya vāṃchakaḥ

Translation

اسی چھوٹے سے کنویں میں گیا دھام خود بخود قائم ہے۔ اسی سبب تم نے خواب میں اپنے پتا کو دیکھا—وہ شِرادھ کی خواہش رکھتے تھے۔

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Singular); निर्देश (deictic)

• अस्याम्: in this
• अस्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• कूपिकायाम्: in the small well
• कूपिकायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूपिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction: and)

• स्वयम्: by itself
• स्वयम्: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: oneself/by oneself)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle: indeed/only)

• गया: Gayā (sacred place)
• गया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्थिता: is situated/stands
• स्थिता: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘स्थिता (अस्ति)’

• तेन: therefore/by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive sense/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

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

• दृष्टः: was seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगार्थः: ‘दृष्टः (त्वया)’ = was seen

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

• श्राद्धस्य: of śrāddha
• श्राद्धस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वाञ्छकः: desiring
• वाञ्छकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छक (प्रातिपदिक; वाञ्छ् धातोः ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual tīrtha-instructor voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūpikā where Gayā is present (Kūpikā-Gayā)

Type: kund

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (Raghu-line)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brāhmaṇas reveal the secret: within a humble well, Gayā itself resides; the king realizes his dream of his father was a true call for śrāddha.

Characters & Entities

• Gayā
• pitṛ (father/ancestor)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places can manifest the power of renowned tīrthas, and ancestral duties (śrāddha) may be prompted through divine or dream-signs.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā—traditionally famed for ancestral rites—is said to be present within a local kūpikā (small well), extending Gayā’s merit to that spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha for one’s father/ancestors is indicated as the desired rite, prompted by the dream-vision.