Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 98
पूर्वोपात्तं भवेत्पुण्यं भुक्तिर्नैवार्जयन्त्यपि । इह भोगः स वै प्रोक्तो दुर्भगस्याल्पमेधसः
pūrvopāttaṃ bhavetpuṇyaṃ bhuktirnaivārjayantyapi | iha bhogaḥ sa vai prokto durbhagasyālpamedhasaḥ
Le mérite (puṇya) acquis autrefois est ce que l’on « goûte » ; la simple jouissance ne crée pas de mérite nouveau. Une telle jouissance en ce monde est dite le lot du malchanceux et de l’esprit étroit.
Narrator (within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa discourse; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)
Scene: A wealthy man feasts amid luxuries while a sage points to a diminishing pile of glowing coins labeled ‘past puṇya’; beside it, an empty vessel labeled ‘new puṇya’ remains unfilled until dāna/tapas begins.
FAQs
Worldly enjoyment largely consumes previously earned merit; one should actively cultivate new puṇya through dharmic action rather than merely indulging.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives a general dharma teaching on karma, puṇya, and bhoga.
No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the implication is to pursue dharma to ‘earn’ merit rather than only enjoy results.