Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 52
कृषीवलाः शस्त्रधरा निर्देवा जिह्मवृत्तयः । न जानंति परं धर्मं ज्ञानवैराग्यलक्षणम्
kṛṣīvalāḥ śastradharā nirdevā jihmavṛttayaḥ | na jānaṃti paraṃ dharmaṃ jñānavairāgyalakṣaṇam
هم مجردُ حرّاثين وحَمَلةِ سلاح، بلا تقوى للآلهة وبسلوكٍ معوجّ؛ لا يعرفون الدharma الأعلى، الموصوف بالمعرفة والزهد.
Narrator of the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (contextual Purāṇic narrator)
Tirtha: Bāṣkala-grāma
Type: kshetra
Scene: A symbolic tableau: farmers and warriors stand in shadow, while a luminous path labeled ‘jñāna’ and ‘vairāgya’ rises toward a serene summit; a deity icon or liṅga appears neglected in the background, awaiting restoration.
FAQs
Higher dharma is not mere worldly identity or power; it is recognized by knowledge (jñāna) and detachment (vairāgya).
None; the verse continues the moral description of the narrative’s setting.
No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse sets a doctrinal benchmark for “para-dharma” as jñāna and vairāgya.