Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 5
शोच्यं पातकिनं मां च संस्तुवध्वं कथं सुराः । पंचानामपि यो भर्ता प्राकृतोऽसौ न कीर्त्यते
śocyaṃ pātakinaṃ māṃ ca saṃstuvadhvaṃ kathaṃ surāḥ | paṃcānāmapi yo bhartā prākṛto'sau na kīrtyate
«كيفَ تمدحونني، أيها السُّوَرَة، وأنا آثمٌ جديرٌ بالرثاء؟ حتى من كان سيّدَ الخمسِ (الحواس)، إن صار دنيوياً محضاً فلا يستحق أن يُشاد به.»
Guha (Skanda/Kārttikeya) (deduced: the 'great-souled one' addressing devas)
Listener: Devas (addressed); Pārtha (addressed by narrator)
Scene: Skanda speaks with calm severity, pointing inward (toward the heart) as devas stand with folded hands, their praise transformed into attentive listening.
FAQs
Praise is secondary to purity: self-mastery and dharmic intention matter more than external victory or acclaim.
No holy site is referenced in this verse.
None directly; the verse sets up the need for prāyaścitta (atonement) and ethical reflection.