Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35
केचिच्छंसंति चैश्वर्यं नंदभद्रो न मन्यते । मानुषा मानुषानेव दासभावेन भुंजते
kecicchaṃsaṃti caiśvaryaṃ naṃdabhadro na manyate | mānuṣā mānuṣāneva dāsabhāvena bhuṃjate
Some praise lordly power and dominion, but Nandabhadra does not approve. For humans, making other humans into slaves for “enjoyment” is an enjoyment rooted in bondage.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative mode)
Scene: Nandabhadra stands before a court or wealthy household, refusing to praise dominion; behind him, a contrast scene shows laborers treated as slaves; the moral tension is visible—one side opulence, the other suffering.
FAQs
Power is not inherently praiseworthy; dharma rejects enjoyment built on the humiliation and bondage of other people.
No holy site is named; the emphasis is on moral governance and social dharma.
No ritual is prescribed; it is an ethical injunction against exploitative dominion.