Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

निर्ममा निरहंकारा निःसंगा निष्परिग्रहाः । चतुर्वर्गेपि निःस्नेहाः समलोष्टाश्मकांचनाः

Transliteration

nirmamā nirahaṃkārā niḥsaṃgā niṣparigrahāḥ | caturvargepi niḥsnehāḥ samaloṣṭāśmakāṃcanāḥ

Translation

متحرّرون من التملّك و«الأنا»، غيرُ متعلّقين ولا مُدّخرين؛ وحتى تجاه مقاصد الحياة الأربعة لا يتشبّثون، ويرون كتلةَ ترابٍ وحجراً وذهباً سواءً.

Word by Word

• निर्ममाः: free from possessiveness
• निर्ममाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मम (प्रातिपदिक; निः+मम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• निरहंकाराः: without ego
• निरहंकाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरहंकार (प्रातिपदिक; निः+अहंकार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; नञ्/निः-पूर्वक तत्पुरुष; विशेषण

• निःसंगाः: detached, without association
• निःसंगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःसंग (प्रातिपदिक; निः+संग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• निष्परिग्रहाः: without possessions
• निष्परिग्रहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्परिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; निः+परिग्रह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• चतुर्वर्गे: in the four aims of life
• चतुर्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; चतुर्+वर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘चतुर्वर्ग’ (धर्म-अर्थ-काम-मोक्ष)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• निःस्नेहाः: without attachment/affection
• निःस्नेहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःस्नेह (प्रातिपदिक; निः+स्नेह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनाः: seeing clod, stone, and gold as equal
• समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समलोष्ट-अश्म-काञ्चन (प्रातिपदिक; सम+लोष्ट+अश्मन्+काञ्चन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—(लोष्ट, अश्म, काञ्चन) इति द्वन्द्वः; ‘सम-’ उपसर्गेण समदर्शित्वार्थः; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from immediate context; instruction on kṣetra-vāsins)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of kṣetra-residents/pilgrims living simply: minimal possessions, calm faces; one holds a clod, a stone, and a piece of gold shown as equal in their gaze; the sea-temple horizon of Prabhāsa behind.

Characters & Entities

• Caturvarga (puruṣārtha)
• Tyāga (renunciation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life in a sacred geography is perfected by vairāgya—dropping ego, possession, and attachment even to life-goals.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the ideal resident is portrayed as radically detached and equanimous.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not a ritual act but a prescribed discipline: non-possessiveness, non-attachment, non-hoarding, and equanimity toward wealth.