Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

अर्थसंपद्विमोहाय विमोहो नरकाय च । तस्मादर्थं प्रयत्नेन श्रेयोऽर्थी दूरतस्त्यजेत्

Transliteration

arthasaṃpadvimohāya vimoho narakāya ca | tasmādarthaṃ prayatnena śreyo'rthī dūratastyajet

Translation

الثروة تُورِثُ الغواية، والغواية تُفضي إلى الجحيم. لذلك فطالبُ الخيرِ الأسمى ينبغي أن يجتهد في نبذِ المالِ والابتعادِ عنه من بعيد.

Word by Word

• अर्थसंपत्: wealth (prosperity of riches)
• अर्थसंपत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + संपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थस्य संपत्)

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

• विमोहः: delusion
• विमोहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विमोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन

• नरकाय: for hell
• नरकाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-इति पञ्चमी-अर्थे निपात (therefore/from that)

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

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

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

• अर्थी: one who seeks
• अर्थी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन; अर्थिन् = इच्छुक (desirous)

• दूरतः: from afar/entirely
• दूरतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (from far away/altogether)

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

Speaker

Kaśyapa (continuing)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mune / interlocutor (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral triptych: (1) coins and granaries leading to a fog of delusion around a person’s head, (2) a dark naraka chasm hinted in the distance, (3) a bright path to a tīrtha shrine where a pilgrim walks with minimal belongings—‘abandon from afar’.

Characters & Entities

• wealth (artha)
• delusion (vimoha)
• naraka
• śreyas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Attachment to wealth breeds delusion and spiritual downfall; the śreyas-seeker must actively cultivate renunciation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it strengthens the moral framework that makes pilgrimage fruitful.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline is prescribed: deliberate abandonment of wealth/attachment (aparigraha) for the sake of śreyas.