Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31
नाहं देवि करिष्यामि हस्त्यश्वरथसंग्रहम् । यतस्तेषां भवेत्पुष्टिर्वित्तैर्वित्तं करैर्भवेत् । गृहीतैः सर्वलोकानां तस्मात्तन्न ममेप्सितम्
nāhaṃ devi kariṣyāmi hastyaśvarathasaṃgraham | yatasteṣāṃ bhavetpuṣṭirvittairvittaṃ karairbhavet | gṛhītaiḥ sarvalokānāṃ tasmāttanna mamepsitam
Ô Devī, je n’amasserai ni éléphants, ni chevaux, ni chars ; car leur entretien et leur accroissement demanderaient des richesses, et ces richesses viendraient des taxes prélevées sur tout le peuple. Voilà pourquoi je ne le souhaite pas.
Pṛthivīpati (the king) addressing Devī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A righteous king speaks to Devī, declining royal pomp—elephants, horses, chariots—because their upkeep would demand taxes from all people; the court atmosphere is austere, ethical, and contemplative.
FAQs
True rājadharma restrains royal ambition and avoids burdening the populace for displays of power.
No tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on ethical governance within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.
None; it is a policy vow—renouncing burdensome accumulation funded by heavy taxation.