Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41
राक्षसं वा पिशाचं वा दानवं वा विना विभो । एतज्ज्ञात्वा ततो नाथ यद्युक्तं तत्समाचर
rākṣasaṃ vā piśācaṃ vā dānavaṃ vā vinā vibho | etajjñātvā tato nātha yadyuktaṃ tatsamācara
«Ô puissant, cela ne peut se produire sans un Rākṣasa, ou un Piśāca, ou un Dānava. Sachant cela, ô seigneur, accomplis ce qui convient.»
Unspecified (contextual: the brāhmaṇas/dvijas advising the king)
Scene: Advisers/cooks caution the king: such an act cannot occur without a rākṣasa, piśāca, or dānava; the king’s posture shifts from inquiry to readiness.
FAQs
When disorder appears, dharma advises investigation: unseen hostile forces may be at work, so one should respond wisely, not impulsively.
No tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the chapter’s broader sacred narrative context.
None explicitly; it is ethical counsel—‘do what is proper’ after understanding the cause.