Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5
न हस्तिनो न पादाता न चाश्वास्तस्य भूपतेः । न रथाश्च महाराज न कोशाश्च तथाविधाः
na hastino na pādātā na cāśvāstasya bhūpateḥ | na rathāśca mahārāja na kośāśca tathāvidhāḥ
Ce roi n’avait ni éléphants ni fantassins, pas même de chevaux ; et, ô grand roi, il ne possédait ni chars de guerre ni trésors tels qu’on en voit d’ordinaire.
Pulastya
Tirtha: Arbuda (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Mahārāja/Rājan (the addressed king in the frame)
Scene: Ajapāla is shown as a king without elephants, horses, infantry, chariots, or conventional treasury—yet his rule stands; the court appears simple, almost ascetic.
FAQs
True authority in dharma can be portrayed as non-dependent on force or wealth, preparing a contrast between power and righteousness.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it continues the Arbuda-centered itihāsa that supports the section’s sacred geography.
None; it is descriptive, emphasizing the king’s lack of conventional military and fiscal apparatus.