Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 134
पुण्यमूलक्षये तद्वत्पातयंति दिवौकसः । इति स्वर्गेपि देवानां नास्ति सौख्यं विचारतः
puṇyamūlakṣaye tadvatpātayaṃti divaukasaḥ | iti svargepi devānāṃ nāsti saukhyaṃ vicārataḥ
Quand s’épuise la racine du mérite, les habitants du ciel sont précipités de même. Ainsi, à y réfléchir, même au ciel les dieux ne possèdent pas de bonheur durable.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A celestial assembly where joy fades as a ‘merit lamp’ runs out; devas looking concerned; below, the same falling-tree motif subtly echoed; a calm ascetic pointing toward a higher, formless light (mokṣa).
FAQs
Merit-based pleasures are impermanent; only what transcends puṇya-kṣaya yields lasting peace.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves a general dharma teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.
None explicitly; the verse focuses on the doctrine of karma and the exhaustion of merit.