Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9
वर्द्धन्युवाच । धर्मे तिष्ठति सर्वं वै स्थावरं जंगमं विभो । स धर्मो दुष्करं कर्म कस्मात्त्वं कुरुषेऽनघ
varddhanyuvāca | dharme tiṣṭhati sarvaṃ vai sthāvaraṃ jaṃgamaṃ vibho | sa dharmo duṣkaraṃ karma kasmāttvaṃ kuruṣe'nagha
വർദ്ധനീ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വിഭോ! സ്ഥാവരവും ജംഗമവും ആയ സർവ്വവും ധർമ്മത്തിൽ തന്നെയാണ് പ്രതിഷ്ഠിതം. ധർമ്മം തന്നേ ദുഷ്കര കർമ്മമാർഗ്ഗം; അതിനാൽ ഹേ അനഘ, നീ എന്തിന് ഇത്തരമൊരു കഠിനകർമ്മം ആരംഭിക്കുന്നു?
Varddhanī
Scene: A composed dialogue scene: Varddhanī respectfully questions a mighty ascetic figure about undertaking a difficult dharmic act; the cosmos of moving and unmoving beings is implied as a backdrop motif.
FAQs
Dharma is presented as the sustaining foundation of the entire cosmos, and rigorous spiritual effort should be examined through the lens of Dharma.
The broader setting is Dharmāraṇya (the ‘Forest of Dharma’), emphasized as a sacred context for dharma and austerity, though no single tirtha is named in this verse.
No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse frames the theme of difficult tapas/undertaking in relation to Dharma.