Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
उत्तमाः प्रार्थयंति स्म मोक्षमेव हि केवलम् । गता यत्र निवर्तंते न कथंचिद्धरातले
uttamāḥ prārthayaṃti sma mokṣameva hi kevalam | gatā yatra nivartaṃte na kathaṃciddharātale
أما الأبرارُ السامون فلا يسألون إلا الموكشا، التحرّر وحده. فإذا بلغوا تلك الحال، لا يعودون البتّة إلى عالم الأرض بأي وجهٍ كان.
Ṛṣayaḥ (continuing their statement/contextual framing)
Listener: Ṛṣis
Scene: A serene depiction of an uttama seeker praying only for mokṣa; the earth realm fades behind while a luminous, formless or subtle ‘state’ is indicated—suggesting cessation of return; Sūta’s narration frames the ideal.
FAQs
The highest aim is mokṣa—freedom that ends the cycle of return to worldly existence.
This verse states the doctrine of liberation rather than naming a site; the kṣetra context is supplied by the surrounding chapter.
No explicit ritual; it highlights intention (prārthanā) for mokṣa as the mark of the uttama.