Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30
देशस्त्रैशं कवोनाम वर्जितः श्राद्धकर्मणि । कारस्काराः कलिंगाश्च सिंधोरुत्तरमेव च । प्रणष्टाश्रमधर्माश्च वर्ज्या देशाः प्रयत्नतः
deśastraiśaṃ kavonāma varjitaḥ śrāddhakarmaṇi | kāraskārāḥ kaliṃgāśca siṃdhoruttarameva ca | praṇaṣṭāśramadharmāśca varjyā deśāḥ prayatnataḥ
إن الأرض المعروفة بترايشَمْكَفَا تُجتنب في شعائر الشرادّها. وكذلك تُجتنب بلاد الكارَسْكارا والكالينغا، وما وراء السِّندهو شمالًا؛ وبوجه عام، كل البلاد التي اندثرت فيها ضوابط الآشرَمات (āśrama) ينبغي أن تُهجر بتحرّز.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (as the implied recommended alternative)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A pilgrim caravan consults a sage; behind them are signposts naming regions (Traiśaṃkava, Kaliṅga, Sindhu-uttara). The sage gestures toward a bright path leading to a dhārmika tīrtha, while the avoided regions appear dim with broken hermitages symbolizing ‘pranaṣṭāśrama-dharma’.
FAQs
Ritual efficacy is linked to dhārmic order; where āśrama-dharma collapses, rites like Śrāddha are discouraged.
The verse belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, framing Prabhāsa as a dhārmically suitable sphere in contrast to prohibited regions.
Avoid Śrāddha in Traiśaṃkava and other specified regions, and generally where āśrama-dharma is lost.