Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93
बहुना किं मनुष्येभ्यः सर्वो धन्योऽन्ययोनिजः । स्वभावमेव जानीहि पुण्यापुण्यादिकल्पना
bahunā kiṃ manuṣyebhyaḥ sarvo dhanyo'nyayonijaḥ | svabhāvameva jānīhi puṇyāpuṇyādikalpanā
ولِمَ الإطالةُ في ذكرِ البشر؟ إنَّ المولودَ من رحمٍ آخر هو السعيدُ من كلِّ وجه. فاعلمْ أنه ليس إلا طبعًا محضًا—وأنَّ تصورَ «الثوابِ والإثم» وما شابهه إنما هو اصطناعٌ ذهنيّ.
Unspecified in snippet (likely a materialistic/hedonistic interlocutor within the dialogue)
Listener: Nandabhadra
Scene: A disputation scene: a speaker asserting ‘svabhāva alone’ and dismissing merit/demerit, while a composed listener prepares to respond; ascetic ambience with subtle tension.
FAQs
It presents a disputant’s claim that ‘puṇya and pāpa’ are conceptual, setting up the text’s later reaffirmation of dharma.
None; the focus is doctrinal debate rather than sthala-māhātmya.
None; it argues about the basis of ethics rather than prescribing practice.