Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

विनैवार्थार्जनोपायं धर्मादर्थो भवेद्ध्रुवम् । अतोऽर्थचिंतामुत्सृज्य धर्ममेकं समाश्रयेत्

Transliteration

vinaivārthārjanopāyaṃ dharmādartho bhaveddhruvam | ato'rthaciṃtāmutsṛjya dharmamekaṃ samāśrayet

Translation

Même sans les moyens ordinaires d’acquérir des richesses, la prospérité vient sûrement du Dharma. Aussi, rejetant l’inquiétude du gain, qu’on prenne refuge en le seul Dharma.

Word by Word

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वियोगार्थक (without)

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• अर्थार्जनोपायम्: means of acquiring wealth
• अर्थार्जनोपायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ-अर्जन-उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः: अर्थार्जन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘अर्थस्य अर्जनम्’) + उपाय (तत्पुरुषः ‘अर्जनस्य उपायः’)

• धर्मात्: from dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन

• अर्थः: wealth
• अर्थः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would arise
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (indeclinable adverbial accusative)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Discourse connective/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय (therefore)

• अर्थचिन्ताम्: anxiety about wealth
• अर्थचिन्ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ-चिन्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अर्थस्य चिन्ता)

• उत्सृज्य: having abandoned
• उत्सृज्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत् + √सृज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एकम्: alone, single
• एकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (धर्मम्)

• समाश्रयेत्: should resort to
• समाश्रयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + √श्रि (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher-sage on a Kāśī ghat gestures gently as a worried householder loosens his grip on a money pouch; behind them, pilgrims proceed calmly toward a Śiva shrine—symbolizing artha-anxiety dissolving into dharma-refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Kāśī
• Avimukta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prioritize Dharma; worldly prosperity follows naturally, so abandon restless worry about wealth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī/Avimukta through the chapter’s Kāśī-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual; it is an ethical prescription: take refuge in Dharma and relinquish artha-anxiety.