Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36
अरक्षणाद्भयार्तानां गंतासि निरयं ध्रुवम् । इति विप्रगिरा भीतश्चिंतयामास पार्थिवः । अरक्षणान्महत्पापं पत्नीदानं ततो वरम्
arakṣaṇādbhayārtānāṃ gaṃtāsi nirayaṃ dhruvam | iti vipragirā bhītaściṃtayāmāsa pārthivaḥ | arakṣaṇānmahatpāpaṃ patnīdānaṃ tato varam
「恐れに苦しむ者を守らぬなら、汝は必ず地獄に堕ちる。」バラモンの言葉に怯えた王は思案した。「守護を怠るのは大罪だ。ゆえに妻を与えるほうが、より小さな悪である。」
Narrator (contextual; the verse reports the king’s internal deliberation)
Scene: The king alone in contemplation, crown slightly askew, hands clasped; behind him loom two symbolic paths: a dark pit labeled 'arakṣaṇa' and another shadow labeled 'patnī-dāna'; the brāhmaṇa’s stern silhouette hovers like a threat.
FAQs
It highlights rāja-dharma: failing to protect the vulnerable is presented as a grave fault, and moral choices made under fear can lead to tragic compromise.
No holy site is mentioned; the focus is on dharma and royal responsibility.
None; the verse discusses moral consequence (niraya) and duty (rakṣaṇa).