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

ധനസമ്പത്ത് നിശ്ചയമായും മോഹത്തിനും അനവധി ശോകങ്ങൾക്കും കാരണമാകുന്നു. അതിനാൽ പരമശ്രേയസ് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ, യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ ‘അനർത്ഥം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്ന ആ ‘അർത്ഥ’ത്തെ ദൂരത്തുനിന്നുതന്നെ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കട്ടെ.

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.