Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93
बहुना किं मनुष्येभ्यः सर्वो धन्योऽन्ययोनिजः । स्वभावमेव जानीहि पुण्यापुण्यादिकल्पना
bahunā kiṃ manuṣyebhyaḥ sarvo dhanyo'nyayonijaḥ | svabhāvameva jānīhi puṇyāpuṇyādikalpanā
ಮನುಷ್ಯರ ವಿಷಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಬಹಳವಾಗಿ ಏನು ಹೇಳಬೇಕು? ಬೇರೆ ಯೋನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದವನೂ ಸರ್ವಥಾ ಧನ್ಯನೇ. ಇದನ್ನು ಸ್ವಭಾವಮಾತ್ರವೆಂದು ತಿಳಿ; ಪುಣ್ಯ‑ಪಾಪಾದಿ ಕಲ್ಪನೆ ಕೇವಲ ಕಲ್ಪಿತವೇ.
Unspecified in snippet (likely a materialistic/hedonistic interlocutor within the dialogue)
Listener: Nandabhadra
Scene: A disputation scene: a speaker asserting ‘svabhāva alone’ and dismissing merit/demerit, while a composed listener prepares to respond; ascetic ambience with subtle tension.
FAQs
It presents a disputant’s claim that ‘puṇya and pāpa’ are conceptual, setting up the text’s later reaffirmation of dharma.
None; the focus is doctrinal debate rather than sthala-māhātmya.
None; it argues about the basis of ethics rather than prescribing practice.