Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 142
मुनिरुवाच । के नाम न विनश्यंति मूढज्ञाना नितंबिनीम् । रम्यबुद्ध्योपसर्पंति ये ज्वालाः शलभा इव
muniruvāca | ke nāma na vinaśyaṃti mūḍhajñānā nitaṃbinīm | ramyabuddhyopasarpaṃti ye jvālāḥ śalabhā iva
Le sage dit : «Qui ne serait pas perdu—ceux dont le “savoir” n’est que folie—lorsqu’ils s’approchent d’une femme voluptueuse, l’esprit la croyant délicieuse, tels des papillons de nuit se jetant dans la flamme ?»
Muni (sage)
Listener: Kanyā
Scene: A stark allegory: moths fly into a bright flame; beside it, a man approaches a seductive figure, shadowed by impending ruin; the sage’s words hover as moral commentary.
FAQs
Uncontrolled desire, fueled by delusion, leads to self-destruction—like moths drawn to fire—so discernment must guide conduct.
None is named explicitly in this verse.
No ritual instruction appears; it is a warning framed through a vivid simile.