Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8
न करेण विना भूपा हस्त्यश्वादिबलं च यत् । शक्नुवंति परित्रातुं पादातं च विशेषतः
na kareṇa vinā bhūpā hastyaśvādibalaṃ ca yat | śaknuvaṃti paritrātuṃ pādātaṃ ca viśeṣataḥ
Sans revenu (l’impôt), les rois ne peuvent entretenir ni protéger les forces d’éléphants, de chevaux et le reste — surtout l’infanterie.
A king/ruler (speaker not explicitly named in this snippet)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A king reviewing troops—elephants with caparisons, horses, and foot-soldiers—while scribes tally revenue; the scene emphasizes protection rather than conquest, with a shrine/flag of dharma in the background.
FAQs
Taxation is justified when aligned with protection and welfare; revenue supports the dharmic duty of safeguarding society.
No tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides governance context within the tīrtha discourse.
None; the verse discusses practical rāja-dharma (state duty).