Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9
अतो भावमयं विश्वं पुण्यं पापं च भावतः । ते उभे भावहीनस्य न भवेतां कदाचन
ato bhāvamayaṃ viśvaṃ puṇyaṃ pāpaṃ ca bhāvataḥ | te ubhe bhāvahīnasya na bhavetāṃ kadācana
لذلك فإن العالم كلَّه يتشكّل بحسب البهافا (النية والوجدان) في الداخل؛ ومن البهافا ينشأ الثواب والإثم أيضًا. أمّا من خلا من بهافاٍ صادقة، فلا يثبت عليه واحدٌ منهما أبدًا على الحقيقة.
Narrator (contextual purāṇic voice; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)
Scene: A contemplative sage instructs a listener: the world arises from bhāva; puṇya and pāpa appear as subtle forms around the heart, dissolving for the bhāva-less ascetic.
FAQs
Inner intention (bhāva) is decisive; actions bear the fruit of merit or sin according to the disposition behind them.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives a general dharma principle that later supports sacred-place narratives.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the inner condition that makes worship and dharma effective.