Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92
स्वस्वभावविहीनानि हीनानि च तथा जलैः । कुत्सिता मंत्रवादा ये कुत्सिताश्च तपस्विनः
svasvabhāvavihīnāni hīnāni ca tathā jalaiḥ | kutsitā maṃtravādā ye kutsitāśca tapasvinaḥ
En cet âge, les hommes seront privés de leur vraie nature et de la maîtrise intérieure, et leur pureté déclinera—jusqu’en des choses aussi simples que l’eau. Ceux qui marchandent les mantras deviendront vils, et même les ascètes tomberont dans l’opprobre.
Bṛhaspati
Type: kshetra
Scene: A marketplace-like ghat where ‘mantra-sellers’ bargain; ascetics appear disheveled and quarrelsome; water jars look tainted; a sage’s gaze is sorrowful as he describes the loss of svabhāva.
FAQs
When dharma declines, even sacred disciplines (mantra and tapas) can be misused; inner character is the true measure of spiritual life.
This verse functions as yuga-dharma teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tirtha is explicitly named in the verse.
No direct ritual is prescribed; it warns against degraded mantra-trade and loss of purity.