Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23
नर नारायणौ क्रूरौ पापपंकानुलेपिनौ । एवमेतदिति प्रोक्तौ तौ तदा द्वारमागतौ
nara nārāyaṇau krūrau pāpapaṃkānulepinau | evametaditi proktau tau tadā dvāramāgatau
«Nara et Nārāyaṇa sont cruels, enduits de la boue du péché»—ainsi parla-t-on d’eux ; puis ces deux-là arrivèrent à la porte.
Śiva (Īśvara) (narrating)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Māhātmya audience
Scene: Gatekeepers or courtiers speak harshly, branding the two visitors as sinful; Nara-Nārāyaṇa arrive at the gate, unshaken, their serenity contrasting with the accusatory crowd.
FAQs
Speaking wrongly of the noble or divine is itself a moral fault; misjudgment becomes a cause for later atonement.
Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the māhātmya context in which this ethical warning is delivered.
None explicitly; the verse highlights the moral issue (wrong speech/assessment).