Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 137
यो देवान्मन्यते नैव धर्मांश्च मनुसूचितान् । नैतौ स याति पंथानौ तत्त्वार्थोऽयं निरूपितः
yo devānmanyate naiva dharmāṃśca manusūcitān | naitau sa yāti paṃthānau tattvārtho'yaṃ nirūpitaḥ
जो न देवताओं को मानता है और न मनु द्वारा उपदिष्ट धर्मों को स्वीकार करता है, वह इन दोनों मार्गों में से किसी पर भी नहीं चलता—यह तत्त्वार्थ स्पष्ट रूप से निश्चित है।
Deductive: Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context
Scene: Two luminous roads (light and smoke) stand guarded by personified Dharma; a figure who turns away from devas and dharma finds the roads fading, entering a barren, trackless wasteland—symbolizing ‘no path’.
FAQs
Rejecting the devas and Manu-taught dharma disqualifies one from the recognized dharmic paths.
None is specified; the verse focuses on doctrinal adherence rather than sacred geography.
No direct prescription; it frames eligibility for the two dharmic paths previously stated.