Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 62
न तत्क्षेत्रं न तत्तीर्थमूषरं पुष्कराणि च । ब्राह्मणे मन्युमुत्पाद्य यत्र गत्वा स शुध्यति
na tatkṣetraṃ na tattīrthamūṣaraṃ puṣkarāṇi ca | brāhmaṇe manyumutpādya yatra gatvā sa śudhyati
Il n’est ni kṣetra sacré ni tīrtha saint—ni déserts ni Puṣkara—où l’on devienne pur en s’y rendant, si l’on a d’abord suscité la colère d’un brāhmaṇa.
Jagannātha (continuing speech in context)
Tirtha: Puṣkara (as exemplar)
Type: kund
Scene: A pilgrim stands at the edge of a radiant tīrtha-lake/ghāṭ, yet a dark cloud of offense clings to him; brāhmaṇas appear stern, and the water’s glow does not touch the pilgrim until he bows in contrition.
FAQs
Pilgrimage cannot override ethical wrongdoing—offending a Brāhmaṇa blocks purification until the fault is addressed.
Puṣkara is referenced as a famed tīrtha, but the verse teaches that even renowned sites cannot purify one guilty of brāhmaṇa-offense.
Avoid brāhmaṇa-aparādha; purification requires first removing the cause—seeking forgiveness and restoring dharma—before relying on tīrtha travel.