Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21
जीवितं च धनं दाराः पुत्राः क्षेत्रगृहाणि च । यान्ति येषआं धर्मकृते त एव भुवि मानवाः
jīvitaṃ ca dhanaṃ dārāḥ putrāḥ kṣetragṛhāṇi ca | yānti yeṣaāṃ dharmakṛte ta eva bhuvi mānavāḥ
Seuls ceux-là sont vraiment humains sur la terre : ceux qui, lorsque le Dharma l’exige, abandonnent vie, richesse, épouse, fils, champs et demeure.
Arjuna
Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)
Scene: A declarative teaching scene: the hero or narrator enumerates life’s attachments—wealth, spouse, sons, land, house—shown as symbolic objects being set aside before a dharma emblem (śāstra/linga/tilaka).
FAQs
True human excellence is measured by willingness to sacrifice worldly attachments for Dharma.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it sets the ethical foundation for the tīrtha episode that follows.
None explicitly; it emphasizes inner renunciation as the proper orientation for Dharma and pilgrimage.