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

Reichtum führt zur Verblendung, und Verblendung führt zur Hölle. Darum soll, wer das höchste Heil begehrt, sich mit Mühe von Reichtum fernhalten und ihn von weitem aufgeben.

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.