Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 128
कुर्वते यदि मोहाद्वा प्रेतत्वं शाश्वतं ततः । नापयाति कृतैः पुण्यैर्बहुशस्तीर्थसेवनैः
kurvate yadi mohādvā pretatvaṃ śāśvataṃ tataḥ | nāpayāti kṛtaiḥ puṇyairbahuśastīrthasevanaiḥ
यदि कोई मोहवश उसे (विधि-विरुद्ध) कर बैठता है, तो उससे स्थायी प्रेतत्व उत्पन्न होता है। वह बहुत-से पुण्य करने और अनेक तीर्थों की बार-बार सेवा से भी सहज नहीं मिटता।
Sūta (deduced)
Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A devotee, having performed a rite wrongly, is shown in a liminal preta-like state near a desolate shore; in contrast, a correctly guided ritual scene appears as a luminous counterpoint, emphasizing the need for right knowledge.
FAQs
Deliberate or careless ritual error is treated as grave; spiritual consequences may persist beyond ordinary acts of merit.
Tīrtha-sevā is mentioned generally; the surrounding narrative belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya.
An implicit prohibition: do not perform the rite in the wrong tithi/condition, thinking it will be ‘fixed’ later by pilgrimages.