Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 62
न तत्क्षेत्रं न तत्तीर्थमूषरं पुष्कराणि च । ब्राह्मणे मन्युमुत्पाद्य यत्र गत्वा स शुध्यति
na tatkṣetraṃ na tattīrthamūṣaraṃ puṣkarāṇi ca | brāhmaṇe manyumutpādya yatra gatvā sa śudhyati
അത്തരം ക്ഷേത്രമില്ല, അത്തരം തീർത്ഥമില്ല—ഉഷരഭൂമിയോ പുഷ്കരങ്ങളോ പോലും—ബ്രാഹ്മണന്റെ കോപം ഉണർത്തി പോയവൻ അവിടെ ശുദ്ധിയാകുകയില്ല.
Jagannātha (continuing speech in context)
Tirtha: Puṣkara (as exemplar)
Type: kund
Scene: A pilgrim stands at the edge of a radiant tīrtha-lake/ghāṭ, yet a dark cloud of offense clings to him; brāhmaṇas appear stern, and the water’s glow does not touch the pilgrim until he bows in contrition.
FAQs
Pilgrimage cannot override ethical wrongdoing—offending a Brāhmaṇa blocks purification until the fault is addressed.
Puṣkara is referenced as a famed tīrtha, but the verse teaches that even renowned sites cannot purify one guilty of brāhmaṇa-offense.
Avoid brāhmaṇa-aparādha; purification requires first removing the cause—seeking forgiveness and restoring dharma—before relying on tīrtha travel.