Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47
अशनादिंद्रिया णीव स्युः कार्याण्यखिलानिह । सर्वस्मात्कारणाद्वित्तं सर्वसाधनमुच्यते
aśanādiṃdriyā ṇīva syuḥ kāryāṇyakhilāniha | sarvasmātkāraṇādvittaṃ sarvasādhanamucyate
جیسے کھانے پینے وغیرہ سے حواس حرکت میں آتے ہیں، ویسے ہی اس دنیا کے سب کام وسائل سے چلتے ہیں؛ اسی لیے دولت کو ہر کام کا آلۂ تکمیل کہا گیا ہے۔
Kṣatriya (narrative context within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)
Scene: Allegory: a person’s senses reaching for food, mirrored by artisans and priests beginning works when resources arrive; wealth depicted as a ‘toolkit’ enabling dharmic acts at a tīrtha.
FAQs
In worldly life, means are required to carry out duties; wealth is a powerful instrument, but it must be directed by dharma rather than desire.
The teaching appears inside the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative environment, though the verse itself is a general statement about artha.
No direct prescription; it provides a rationale for why people pursue wealth to perform works (including dharmic rites and dāna).