Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

निर्धनत्वं तथा राज्यं तुलायां धारयेद्बुधः । अकिंचनत्वमधिकं जायते संमतिर्मम

Transliteration

nirdhanatvaṃ tathā rājyaṃ tulāyāṃ dhārayedbudhaḥ | akiṃcanatvamadhikaṃ jāyate saṃmatirmama

Translation

Let a wise man weigh poverty and kingship on a balance. My considered view is that possessing nothing (akiñcana) is the greater good.

Word by Word

• निर्धनत्वम्: poverty
• निर्धनत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (त्व)

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

• राज्यम्: kingship
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• तुलायाम्: on a balance (scale)
• तुलायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• धारयेत्: should weigh/hold
• धारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √धृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• बुधः: a wise person
• बुधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन

• अकिंचनत्वम्: having nothing (non-possession)
• अकिंचनत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकिंचन (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (त्व)

• अधिकम्: greater
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (अकिंचनत्वम्)

• जायते: arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• संमतिः: opinion/conviction
• संमतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विषय), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Atri (contextual)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mune / interlocutor (unspecified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic balance scale: on one pan a crown, throne, and treasury; on the other a simple waterpot and staff—yet the ‘light’ of non-possession shines brighter; a sage points to the scale while pilgrims watch.

Characters & Entities

• budha (wise person)
• rājya (kingdom)
• akiṃcanatva (non-possession)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Akiñcanatva (non-possession) is presented as spiritually superior even to royal power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly named; the verse functions as a general Māhātmya teaching for pilgrims and renunciants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a dharmic evaluation encouraging the renunciant ideal.