Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

संख्याहीनस्तथा कोशस्तादृङ्मे बहुरत्नभाक् । कस्य यास्यति संभोगं मया हीनस्तु रक्षितः

Transliteration

saṃkhyāhīnastathā kośastādṛṅme bahuratnabhāk | kasya yāsyati saṃbhogaṃ mayā hīnastu rakṣitaḥ

Translation

Dan perbendaharaanku pun—yang dahulu penuh aneka permata—akan menyusut. Tanpa diriku, di bawah perlindungan siapa ia akan memperoleh aman dan kenikmatan?

Word by Word

• संख्याहीनः: lacking in number
• संख्याहीनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संख्या + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• कोशः: treasury/store
• कोशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तादृक्: such/like that
• तादृक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तादृश्/तादृक् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (pronominal adjective)

• मे: my
• मे: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• बहुरत्नभाक्: possessing many jewels
• बहुरत्नभाक्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + रत्न + भाज् (धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); भाक् = भाज्-धातोः क्विप्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), विशेषण

• कस्य: of whom? / whose?
• कस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); प्रश्नवाचक

• यास्यति: will go
• यास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• संभोगम्: enjoyment/possession
• संभोगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrumental/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• हीनः: deprived/without
• हीनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• रक्षितः: protected/guarded
• रक्षितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Unnamed king (rājā) lamenting consequences of a curse (śāpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A jewel-filled treasury chamber imagined as fading—chests half-open, gems dimmed—while the king worries about protection and enjoyment without his guardianship.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha (implied by later verses)
• Vāsiṣṭhas (implied by later verses)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth is unstable and dependent on righteous protection; without dharmic leadership, prosperity declines.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is explicitly named in this verse; it supports the surrounding tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse focuses on the king’s anxiety over protection and decline of resources.