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
Wahai Devī, aku tidak akan menghimpun gajah, kuda dan kereta perang; kerana pemeliharaan dan pertumbuhan mereka memerlukan harta, dan harta itu datang daripada cukai yang dipungut daripada seluruh rakyat. Maka, itulah bukan yang kuingini.
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.