Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71
स एवाधर्म एवास्ति लोके धर्मविदां वर । वेदमंत्रैविहन्यंते विना शस्त्रेण जंतवः
sa evādharma evāsti loke dharmavidāṃ vara | vedamaṃtraivihanyaṃte vinā śastreṇa jaṃtavaḥ
“അതുതന്നെയാണ് ലോകത്തിലെ അധർമ്മം, ഹേ ധർമ്മവിദാം വര: ആയുധമില്ലാതെ വെറും വേദമന്ത്രങ്ങളാൽ മാത്രം ജന്തുക്കൾ വധിക്കപ്പെടുന്നത്.”
Brāhmaṇas (continuing)
Listener: ‘Best of knowers of dharma’ (addressed interlocutor)
Scene: A solemn admonition: the teacher’s face turns grave, indicating that mantra can kill like a hidden weapon; listeners appear chastened.
FAQs
Sacred authority cannot justify harm; using mantra or ritual power to injure beings is branded as adharma.
Dharmāraṇya is the implied sacred setting; the verse focuses on moral discernment rather than a pilgrimage benefit.
No prescription; it criticizes killing through mantra-power, warning against misuse of sacred knowledge.