Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

अर्थसंपद्विमोहाय बहुशोकाय चैव हि । तस्मादर्थमनर्थाख्यं श्रेयोऽर्थी दूरतस्त्यजेत्

Transliteration

arthasaṃpadvimohāya bahuśokāya caiva hi | tasmādarthamanarthākhyaṃ śreyo'rthī dūratastyajet

Translation

Wohlstand an Dingen führt wahrlich zur Verblendung und zu vielem Kummer. Darum soll, wer das höchste Heil sucht, jenen „Reichtum“, der in Wahrheit Unheil heißt, weit von sich werfen.

Word by Word

• अर्थसंपत्: wealth; prosperity
• अर्थसंपत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + संपत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अर्थस्य संपत्)

• विमोहाय: for delusion
• विमोहाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/सम्प्रदानवाचक

• बहुशोकाय: for much sorrow
• बहुशोकाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (बहवः शोकाः यस्मात्/यत्र)

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

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: for; indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; हेत्वर्थ (therefore)

• अर्थम्: wealth
• अर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अनर्थाख्यम्: called ‘harm’; harmful
• अनर्थाख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अनर्थ इति आख्यं)

• श्रेयः: the good; welfare
• श्रेयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• अर्थी: one who seeks
• अर्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; ‘अर्थिन्’ (desirous of)

• दूरतः: from far away
• दूरतः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: from afar)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: त्यज् (to abandon)

Speaker

Kaśyapa (continuing from the immediately marked speech)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage in Prabhāsa instructs pilgrims: wealth appears as a glittering burden transforming into chains; the sea-wind of Prabhāsa and a distant Somnātha liṅga anchor the setting, while discarded coins turn to dust.

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If one aims at śreyas, one must treat excessive wealth as a trap producing delusion and grief.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra; the Māhātmya’s glory includes transforming worldly aims into liberation-oriented values.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes renunciation (tyāga) of wealth-driven attachment.