Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

अशनादिंद्रिया णीव स्युः कार्याण्यखिलानिह । सर्वस्मात्कारणाद्वित्तं सर्वसाधनमुच्यते

Transliteration

aśanādiṃdriyā ṇīva syuḥ kāryāṇyakhilāniha | sarvasmātkāraṇādvittaṃ sarvasādhanamucyate

Translation

正如诸根因饮食等而被驱使，此世一切事业也因资具而运转；因此，财富被称为成就万事之具。

Word by Word

• अशनादि-इन्द्रियाणि: senses such as eating etc.
• अशनादि-इन्द्रियाणि: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अशनादीनि इन्द्रियाणि = senses such as eating)

• इव: as/like
• इव: उपमान-सम्बन्ध (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमानबोधक/comparative particle)

• स्युः: would be/are (in effect)
• स्युः: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• कार्याणि: tasks/needs
• कार्याणि: कर्ता (Subject complement; with स्युः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अखिलानि: all/entire
• अखिलानि: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अखिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् ‘कार्याणि’

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: देशाधिकरण (Adverbial location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb)

• सर्वस्मात्: from everything/from all (causes)
• सर्वस्मात्: अपादान (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनामवत्

• कारणात्: from the cause
• कारणात्: अपादान (Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• वित्तम्: wealth
• वित्तम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वसाधनम्: the means for everything
• सर्वसाधनम्: कर्तृपूरक/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + साधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (सर्वं साधनं यस्मिन्/यत् = universal means)

• उच्यते: is said/called
• उच्यते: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Kṣatriya (narrative context within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

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

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

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.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching appears inside the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative environment, though the verse itself is a general statement about artha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it provides a rationale for why people pursue wealth to perform works (including dharmic rites and dāna).