Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55
न तादृङ्नेदसि प्रायः क्वापि ज्ञातो महामते । क्रतुस्तु नैव कर्तव्यो नास्ति क्रतुसमो रिपुः
na tādṛṅnedasi prāyaḥ kvāpi jñāto mahāmate | kratustu naiva kartavyo nāsti kratusamo ripuḥ
ឱ មហាមតិ អ្នកមានចិត្តធំធេង មូលដ្ឋានដូចនោះ ស្ទើរតែមិនស្គាល់នៅទីណាមួយឡើយ។ ដូច្នេះ មិនគួរចាប់ផ្តើមក្រតុទេ—ពុំមានសត្រូវណាស្មើនឹងយញ្ញ (ពេលធ្វើដោយគ្មានលក្ខខណ្ឌត្រឹមត្រូវ)។
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A sage warns: ‘No enemy equals a sacrifice’—the yajña ground appears formidable, with shadows suggesting the dangers of error; the patron’s confidence softens into humility.
FAQs
Ritual power is not automatically auspicious; when performed without qualification and right order, it can become spiritually harmful.
The instruction is embedded in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred milieu, implying Kāśī’s dharmic authority rather than naming a particular tirtha in this line.
A negative injunction: do not perform a kratu unless the true prerequisites are present.