Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 195
पुष्पितां वाचमाश्रित्य रागात्स्वर्गमसाधयन् । द्वापरे च प्रवर्तंते मतिभेदास्ततो नृणाम्
puṣpitāṃ vācamāśritya rāgātsvargamasādhayan | dvāpare ca pravartaṃte matibhedāstato nṛṇām
متّكئين على الكلامِ المُزخرف، وبسببِ التعلّق يسعون إلى السماء دون نيلِ التحقّق الحقّ؛ وفي عصرِ دْوَاپَرا تنشأ عندئذٍ اختلافاتُ الآراء بين الناس.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Scene: Assemblies of learned men debating with ornate gestures and scrolls; celestial imagery of svarga as temptation; a quiet devotee/yogin sits apart, unmoved, symbolizing the higher aim beyond rhetoric.
FAQs
Ornate doctrine and desire-driven religiosity can fragment understanding; genuine dharma aims beyond mere heavenly reward.
None; the verse addresses a yuga-wide shift in religious mentality.
None directly; it critiques motivation and rhetoric rather than prescribing a practice.