Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
क्रमोऽयं सर्ववर्णानां प्रकृतीनां सदैव हि । क्रमेण रहितो यस्तु करोति मनुजो जपम् । तस्य प्रकुप्यति विभुर्नरकादिप्रदायकः
kramo'yaṃ sarvavarṇānāṃ prakṛtīnāṃ sadaiva hi | krameṇa rahito yastu karoti manujo japam | tasya prakupyati vibhurnarakādipradāyakaḥ
Wahrlich, dies ist die festgesetzte Ordnung für alle Varṇas und für das gewöhnliche Volk. Wer jedoch Japa ohne diese rechte Ordnung vollzieht, dem zürnt der Herr und wird zum Spender von Hölle und anderen schmerzhaften Folgen.
Śiva (Mahādeva)
Scene: A stern didactic moment: the Lord’s face turns grave as he warns of consequences for disorderly japa; imagery of a scale of dharma vs. naraka as symbolic backdrop.
FAQs
Discipline and correctness in sacred practice matter; careless or ruleless recitation is portrayed as spiritually harmful.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on mantra-krama as part of the māhātmya discourse.
Japa should be performed following the prescribed order (krama); violating the rule is warned against.