Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 133
न चान्यत्क्रियते कर्म सोऽत्र दोषः सुदारुणः । छिन्नमूलतरुर्यद्वदवशः पतते क्षितौ
na cānyatkriyate karma so'tra doṣaḥ sudāruṇaḥ | chinnamūlataruryadvadavaśaḥ patate kṣitau
Et nulle autre action n’y est accomplie : telle est la faute très douloureuse de cet état. Comme un arbre dont la racine est tranchée, on tombe, impuissant, sur la terre.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)
Scene: A great tree with its roots severed, beginning to topple; above it, a faint celestial scene dissolving; a human figure falling helplessly toward earth, illustrating inevitability.
FAQs
When merit is exhausted and no fresh dharmic action is cultivated, downfall is inevitable—therefore aim for lasting spiritual realization, not temporary reward.
No tīrtha is named; the verse continues the general teaching on the impermanence of svarga.
No explicit ritual is stated; the implied prescription is continued dharmic practice (karma, devotion, restraint) rather than complacency.