Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41
राक्षसं वा पिशाचं वा दानवं वा विना विभो । एतज्ज्ञात्वा ततो नाथ यद्युक्तं तत्समाचर
rākṣasaṃ vā piśācaṃ vā dānavaṃ vā vinā vibho | etajjñātvā tato nātha yadyuktaṃ tatsamācara
«يا ذا البأس، لا يكون هذا من غير رَاكْشَسَا أو بِشَاتْشَا (Piśāca) أو دَانَفَا (Dānava). فإذا علمتَ ذلك، يا مولاي، فافعل ما يليق وما هو واجب.»
Unspecified (contextual: the brāhmaṇas/dvijas advising the king)
Scene: Advisers/cooks caution the king: such an act cannot occur without a rākṣasa, piśāca, or dānava; the king’s posture shifts from inquiry to readiness.
FAQs
When disorder appears, dharma advises investigation: unseen hostile forces may be at work, so one should respond wisely, not impulsively.
No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader sacred narrative context.
None explicitly; it is ethical counsel—‘do what is proper’ after understanding the cause.