Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

अथ स्वप्नांतरे प्राप्तः पिता तस्य स भूपतिः । प्रोवाच दुःखितः पुत्रं बाष्पव्याकुललोचनम्

Transliteration

atha svapnāṃtare prāptaḥ pitā tasya sa bhūpatiḥ | provāca duḥkhitaḥ putraṃ bāṣpavyākulalocanam

Translation

Rồi trong một giấc mộng, phụ vương của ông—vị quốc vương—hiện đến và buồn bã nói với người con, đôi mắt ngấn lệ.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/आरम्भबोधक) = then/now

• svapna-antare: in a dream
• svapna-antare: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक) + antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषः (svapne antare)

• prāptaḥ: having appeared
• prāptaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-āp (धातु; √āp/आप्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (having come/appeared)

• pitā: father
• pitā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• bhūpatiḥ: king
• bhūpatiḥ: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to pitā/saḥ

• provāca: said
• provāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• duḥkhitaḥ: sorrowful
• duḥkhitaḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (pitā/saḥ)

• putram: (his) son
• putram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bāṣpa-vyākula-locanam: whose eyes were troubled with tears
• bāṣpa-vyākula-locanam: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + vyākula (प्रातिपदिक) + locana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (bāṣpeṇa vyākulāni locanāni yasya → adjectival usage for putram)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; direct speech to follow from the father)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night scene: the son asleep, tear-stained; the deceased king-father appears in a dream, sorrowful, addressing him; the son’s eyes are wet and startled.

Characters & Entities

• Father (Pitā)
• King (Bhūpati)
• Dream (Svapna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives affirm that unresolved post-death states may be revealed through dreams, urging timely dhārmic action by descendants.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named in this verse; it introduces the dream-message that will direct the son to a specific kṣetra in the following verses.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly here; it sets the context for a forthcoming instruction about śrāddha at a particular tīrtha.