Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 134
पुण्यमूलक्षये तद्वत्पातयंति दिवौकसः । इति स्वर्गेपि देवानां नास्ति सौख्यं विचारतः
puṇyamūlakṣaye tadvatpātayaṃti divaukasaḥ | iti svargepi devānāṃ nāsti saukhyaṃ vicārataḥ
When the very root of merit is exhausted, the dwellers of heaven are cast down in the same way. Thus, upon reflection, even in heaven the gods do not possess lasting happiness.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A celestial assembly where joy fades as a ‘merit lamp’ runs out; devas looking concerned; below, the same falling-tree motif subtly echoed; a calm ascetic pointing toward a higher, formless light (mokṣa).
FAQs
Merit-based pleasures are impermanent; only what transcends puṇya-kṣaya yields lasting peace.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves a general dharma teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.
None explicitly; the verse focuses on the doctrine of karma and the exhaustion of merit.