Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55
अथवा वणिजः शूरा मदमायाविमोहिताः । मदाज्ञां न प्रकुर्वंति मन्यंते वा न ते जनाः
athavā vaṇijaḥ śūrā madamāyāvimohitāḥ | madājñāṃ na prakurvaṃti manyaṃte vā na te janāḥ
Ou bien, de hardis marchands—égarés par l’ivresse et la ruse—peuvent ne pas accomplir mon ordre, ou ces gens peuvent ne pas le reconnaître du tout.
Rāmadeva (Śrī Rāma)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Listener: the addressed community (implied dvijas/attendants)
Scene: A cautionary tableau: confident traders with goods and ledgers, some shown intoxicated or whispering deceitfully, contrasted with the dharmic assembly maintaining ordinance in the forest.
FAQs
Mada (pride/intoxication) and māyā (deceptive delusion) lead people to disregard righteous authority and dharma.
The verse continues the Dharmāraṇya setting, emphasizing it as a place where dharma must be protected when society falters.
No ritual is prescribed; the focus is on moral vigilance and adherence to a dhārmic injunction.