Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26
बांधवा विमुखा यांति धर्मो यांतमनु व्रजेत् । अतः संचिनुयाद्धर्म्ममत्राऽमुत्र सहायिनम्
bāṃdhavā vimukhā yāṃti dharmo yāṃtamanu vrajet | ataḥ saṃcinuyāddharmmamatrā'mutra sahāyinam
Sanak saudara berpaling lalu pergi, tetapi dharma mengikuti dia yang berangkat. Maka hendaklah seseorang menghimpun dharma, penolong di dunia ini dan di alam seberang.
Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally framed within Sūta’s discourse in Purāṇic setting)
Scene: A departing traveler at a cremation ground threshold: relatives stand back with turned faces, while a radiant figure of Dharma walks beside the traveler holding a staff or scripture.
FAQs
Worldly supports are unreliable at death; dharma alone remains a faithful companion, so one must store merit through righteous living.
No specific sacred geography appears in this verse; it functions as general Purāṇic dharma-instruction.
The prescription is to ‘accumulate dharma’—through acts like charity, vows, worship, and ethical conduct (implied by the surrounding context).