Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19
एषा राज्योद्भवा लक्ष्मीर्मदं संजनयेन्नृणाम् । मद्यवत्स्वल्पबुद्धीनां तस्मात्कार्यो न स त्वया
eṣā rājyodbhavā lakṣmīrmadaṃ saṃjanayennṛṇām | madyavatsvalpabuddhīnāṃ tasmātkāryo na sa tvayā
Cette prospérité née de la royauté fait naître l’ivresse dans le cœur des hommes ; pour les esprits étroits elle est comme le vin—ne te laisse donc pas entraîner par elle.
Rāma (implied, addressing Vibhīṣaṇa)
Scene: Allegorical emphasis: Rāma cautions Vibhīṣaṇa about the intoxicating nature of royal prosperity; visual could include a subtle wine-cup motif contrasted with a crown, indicating temptation and restraint.
FAQs
Power and prosperity easily breed pride; dharmic leadership requires sobriety, humility, and restraint.
The verse itself does not specify a location; it supports the moral tone typical of tīrtha-māhātmya narratives.
No ritual is mentioned; the instruction is a rajadharma guideline against arrogance.