Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9
अतो भावमयं विश्वं पुण्यं पापं च भावतः । ते उभे भावहीनस्य न भवेतां कदाचन
ato bhāvamayaṃ viśvaṃ puṇyaṃ pāpaṃ ca bhāvataḥ | te ubhe bhāvahīnasya na bhavetāṃ kadācana
Darum ist die ganze Welt vom inneren Bhāva geprägt; aus dem Bhāva entstehen auch Verdienst und Sünde. Wer des wahren Bhāva entbehrt, bei dem fasst keines von beiden jemals wirklich Fuß.
Narrator (contextual purāṇic voice; specific speaker not explicit in this snippet)
Scene: A contemplative sage instructs a listener: the world arises from bhāva; puṇya and pāpa appear as subtle forms around the heart, dissolving for the bhāva-less ascetic.
FAQs
Inner intention (bhāva) is decisive; actions bear the fruit of merit or sin according to the disposition behind them.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives a general dharma principle that later supports sacred-place narratives.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes the inner condition that makes worship and dharma effective.