Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । धर्मार्थं संचयो यस्य द्रव्याणां स न शस्यते । तपःसंचयनं मन्ये वसिष्ठो धनसंचयम्

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | dharmārthaṃ saṃcayo yasya dravyāṇāṃ sa na śasyate | tapaḥsaṃcayanaṃ manye vasiṣṭho dhanasaṃcayam

Translation

Vasiṣṭha sprach: „Wessen Anhäufung von Gütern (nur) ‚für Dharma‘ geschieht, der ist nicht wahrhaft lobenswert. Ich, Vasiṣṭha, halte das Ansammeln von Askese (tapas) für höher als das Ansammeln von Reichtum.“

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• धर्मार्थम्: for dharma’s sake
• धर्मार्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; समास: धर्मस्य अर्थः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) / ‘for the sake of dharma’ (प्रयोजनार्थे)

• संचयः: accumulation
• संचयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संचय (प्रातिपदिक; √चि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थक

• द्रव्याणाम्: of wealth/materials
• द्रव्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• शस्यते: is praised/commended
• शस्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: शंस् (to praise/recommend)

• तपःसंचयनम्: accumulation of austerity
• तपःसंचयनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + संचयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: तपसः संचयनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• मन्ये: I think
• मन्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; धातु: मन् (to think)

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धनसंचयम्: accumulation of wealth
• धनसंचयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + संचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समास: धनस्य संचयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sage Vasiṣṭha, serene and radiant, instructs pilgrims near the Prabhāsa shore; a balance scale shows ‘tapas’ outweighing ‘gold’. Somnātha’s silhouette and the sea-wind frame the scene.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Dharma
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual capital is tapas and restraint; merely stockpiling wealth—even under the label of ‘dharma’—is inferior to inner discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This teaching is delivered within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context, where pilgrimage is tied to ethical purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it recommends a life-orientation: cultivate tapas (austerity) rather than dhana-saṃcaya (wealth-hoarding).