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
Das Land namens Traiśaṃkava ist beim Śrāddha zu meiden. Ebenso die Kāraskāras, die Kaliṅgas und das nördliche Gebiet jenseits des Sindhu; und überhaupt sind Länder, in denen die Ordnungen der Āśramas zugrunde gegangen sind, mit Sorgfalt zu meiden.
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.