Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67
तस्माद्दोषादिमे राजन्गुणा यद्यपि कीर्तिताः । प्रेतानां यान्समाश्रित्य काचित्सिद्धिर्न जायते
tasmāddoṣādime rājanguṇā yadyapi kīrtitāḥ | pretānāṃ yānsamāśritya kācitsiddhirna jāyate
Ainsi, ô Roi, même si l’on parle de ces « qualités », à cause de cette faute aucun accomplissement réel ne naît pour les prétas qui s’y appuient.
Preta(s) (departed spirits) addressing the king
Type: kshetra
Listener: rājan / king
Scene: The speaker addresses the king: despite being described as possessing certain ‘qualities’, pretas relying on them gain no true accomplishment due to their inherent defect/condition.
FAQs
Even seemingly advantageous conditions become fruitless when rooted in a defective state; dharma-based purification is required for true progress.
Not directly named in this verse; it supports the larger tīrtha-māhātmya rationale for remedial sacred actions.
None explicitly; it reinforces the need for corrective rites for pretas rather than reliance on incidental ‘powers’.