Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41
वसत्यूर्ध्वं तु षण्मासाद्यदा तीर्थे गृहाधिपः । अवज्ञा जायते तस्य मनश्चापल्यभावतः । तदा धर्माद्विनश्यंति सकला गृहमेधिनः
vasatyūrdhvaṃ tu ṣaṇmāsādyadā tīrthe gṛhādhipaḥ | avajñā jāyate tasya manaścāpalyabhāvataḥ | tadā dharmādvinaśyaṃti sakalā gṛhamedhinaḥ
«Mais lorsqu’un maître de maison demeure au tīrtha au-delà de six mois, le mépris naît en lui à cause de l’inconstance de l’esprit; alors les maîtres de maison, dans leur ensemble, s’éloignent du dharma.»
Viśvakarmā
Tirtha: Prabhāsa tīrtha (rule generalized)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A householder lingering too long becomes casual—walking past the shrine inattentively—while sages look on with concern; a contrasting vignette shows a pilgrim departing with renewed reverence.
FAQs
Holiness must be protected by humility; prolonged residence can breed familiarity and disrespect, undermining dharma.
Prabhāsa Kṣetra, framed as a powerful sacred environment requiring careful conduct.
A behavioral restriction: householders should not remain at a tīrtha beyond six months to avoid avajñā and dharmic decline.