Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अकिंचनत्वं राज्यं च तुलया समतोलयम् । अकिंचनत्वमधिकं राज्यादपि न संशयः

Transliteration

akiṃcanatvaṃ rājyaṃ ca tulayā samatolayam | akiṃcanatvamadhikaṃ rājyādapi na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Ich wog Armut — nichts zu besitzen (akincana) — und Königtum auf gleicher Waage; und Armut erwies sich als größer als Königtum, daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• अकिंचनत्वम्: poverty; having nothing
• अकिंचनत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकिंचनत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (त्व)

• राज्यम्: kingdom; sovereignty
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

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

• तुलया: with a balance; by a scale
• तुलया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करणवाचक

• समतोलयम्: I weighed equally
• समतोलयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + तुल् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: तुल् (to weigh) उपसर्ग: सम्

• अकिंचनत्वम्: poverty; having nothing
• अकिंचनत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकिंचनत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (त्व)

• अधिकम्: greater; superior
• अधिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण

• राज्यात्: than a kingdom; from sovereignty
• राज्यात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादानवाचक

• अपि: even; also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-शब्द (particle: even/also)

• न: not; no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in this snippet (aphoristic teaching within Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic weighing scale: on one side a crown, throne, and scepter; on the other a simple begging bowl and staff—yet the ‘poverty’ side sinks heavier, glowing with light.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Non-attachment and simplicity are spiritually superior to worldly power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the Māhātmya frames renunciation as the inner fruit of sacred travel.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is a value-teaching favoring renunciation.