Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23
आक्रम्यात्र महामायो दुराधर्षो दुरत्ययः । न ते जनाः समायांति तद्भयादति शंकिताः
ākramyātra mahāmāyo durādharṣo duratyayaḥ | na te janāḥ samāyāṃti tadbhayādati śaṃkitāḥ
Après avoir envahi ce lieu, ce grand enchanteur—difficile à assaillir et difficile à vaincre—a fait que tes gens ne viennent plus ici, saisis d’une peur extrême de lui.
Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra Adhidevatā (the presiding deity of Dharmāraṇya)
Tirtha: Local kṣetra with Dīrghikā (name not specified)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Rāma
Scene: A shadowy, oppressive presence over a sacred precinct; empty pathways and closed gates; villagers peering from afar, hesitant to approach; the ‘mahāmāyā’ suggested through swirling dark aura rather than explicit form.
FAQs
When fear and delusion dominate, people abandon sacred duty; removing such oppression restores dharma and pilgrimage.
Dharmāraṇya-kṣetra, described as being overrun and therefore avoided.
None explicitly; the verse motivates protective intervention so rites and visits can resume.