Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तत्पुरं सकलं चैव स राजा मंत्रिभिः सह । कुसीदाहृतवित्तेन वर्तते कार्य उत्थिते

Transliteration

tatpuraṃ sakalaṃ caiva sa rājā maṃtribhiḥ saha | kusīdāhṛtavittena vartate kārya utthite

Translation

ਉਹ ਸਾਰਾ ਨਗਰ ਅਤੇ ਉਹ ਰਾਜਾ ਮੰਤਰੀਆਂ ਸਮੇਤ, ਜਦੋਂ ਕੋਈ ਕੰਮ ਉੱਠਦਾ, ਤਾਂ ਸੂਦ ਤੋਂ ਲਿਆਏ ਧਨ ਨਾਲ ਹੀ ਰਾਜਕਾਜ ਚਲਾਉਂਦੇ ਸਨ।

Word by Word

• तत्पुरम्: that city
• तत्पुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपद

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘तत्पुरम्’)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic/only)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृपद

• मन्त्रिभिः: with ministers
• मन्त्रिभिः: Sahakari (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; सहार्थे (with ministers)

• सह: together with
• सह: Sambandha (Accompaniment marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सहार्थक-अव्यय (postposition ‘with’)

• कुसीदाहृतवित्तेन: by wealth gained through usury
• कुसीदाहृतवित्तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुसीद + आहृत + वित्त (प्रातिपदिक-त्रय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासार्थः: ‘कुसीदात् आहृतं वित्तं’ (wealth obtained from usury); साधन/हेतु

• वर्तते: conducts himself/exists
• वर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कार्ये: in matters/business
• कार्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरण (in affairs)

• उत्थिते: when arisen/when it occurs
• उत्थिते: Adhikarana (Qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘कार्ये’)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; within Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council scene: the king with ministers, ledgers and coin-bags present; moneylenders and petitioners appear—wealth circulates through usury, casting a shadow over governance.

Characters & Entities

• rājā
• mantrin (ministers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth gained through unrighteous means (like exploitative usury) taints public life and becomes a cause of decline in dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as moral narrative within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no specific tīrtha is named in this line itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the emphasis is ethical—on the purity of livelihood and governance.