Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 54
एवमेतेन देहेन किं कृत्यं भोजनोत्तमैः । वर्धितेन न चेत्पुण्यं कुरुते पशुवच्च तत्
evametena dehena kiṃ kṛtyaṃ bhojanottamaiḥ | vardhitena na cetpuṇyaṃ kurute paśuvacca tat
Ebenso: Welchen Nutzen hat es, diesen Leib mit den besten Speisen zu nähren, wenn er—obwohl so gestärkt—kein Verdienst (puṇya) wirkt und wie ein Tier lebt?
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side, a well-fed person indulging; on the other, a devotee using the same strength for worship and charity. A subtle animal silhouette behind the indulgent figure symbolizes ‘paśuvat’.
FAQs
Nourishment and comfort are pointless unless they support puṇya; otherwise human life sinks to mere instinct.
No holy site is mentioned in this verse.
No explicit ritual; it urges merit-making actions as the true purpose of sustaining the body.