Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22
या एषा नृपतेः कन्या ख्याता रत्नावती जने । अस्याः स्तनौ गृहीत्वा त्वमधरं पिबसि द्रुतम् । ततस्ते स्याद्विशुद्धिश्च नान्यथा प्रभविष्यति
yā eṣā nṛpateḥ kanyā khyātā ratnāvatī jane | asyāḥ stanau gṛhītvā tvamadharaṃ pibasi drutam | tataste syādviśuddhiśca nānyathā prabhaviṣyati
Inilah putri raja, termasyhur di tengah rakyat dengan nama Ratnāvatī. Jika engkau merengkuh payudaranya dan segera mengecap bibirnya, maka engkau akan memperoleh penyucian—tiada jalan lain bagimu.
Parāvasu’s companions (baṭavaḥ/vayasyāḥ) offering improper counsel
Type: kshetra
Scene: The companions point toward Ratnāvatī, speaking crudely and urging an obscene act as ‘purification,’ while the penitent recoils internally; the scene is tense and morally dark.
FAQs
Not every claim of “purification” is dharmic; immoral acts cannot be justified as prāyaścitta, and such counsel should be rejected.
No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it is a moral turning-point within a larger Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.
A false ‘prescription’ is proposed by companions; it is not a legitimate dharma-rite and functions as an example of adharma.