Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 24
धर्मः कालोचितो नष्टो मन्दभाग्यस्य दुर्मतेः । नूनं मे संपदो राज्यमायुष्यं क्षयमेष्यति
dharmaḥ kālocito naṣṭo mandabhāgyasya durmateḥ | nūnaṃ me saṃpado rājyamāyuṣyaṃ kṣayameṣyati
For one ill-fated and misguided in mind, timely dharma is lost. Surely my prosperity, my kingdom, and even my span of life are now moving toward decline.
Unspecified in snippet (context suggests a king lamenting his misfortune; later verses name Bhadrāyu as king)
Scene: A king in a dim palace chamber, head bowed, reflecting on the collapse of timely dharma; symbols of fading fortune—drooping royal parasol, extinguishing lamp, wilting garland.
FAQs
When timely dharma is neglected, decline follows—prosperity, authority, and even longevity become unstable.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a moral reflection within the narrative.
None explicitly; the verse emphasizes inner governance through kālocita-dharma (timely righteous action).