Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17
दुःखी यतः पराधीनः सदैवात्मवशः सुखी । यस्मिन्कर्मण्यंतरात्मा क्रियमाणे प्रसीदति
duḥkhī yataḥ parādhīnaḥ sadaivātmavaśaḥ sukhī | yasminkarmaṇyaṃtarātmā kriyamāṇe prasīdati
പരാധീനൻ ദുഃഖിയാകുന്നു; സദാ ആത്മവശനായവൻ സുഖിയാകുന്നു. ചെയ്യുന്നതിനിടയിൽ അന്തരാത്മാവ് പ്രസന്നമായി ശാന്തമാകുന്ന കർമ്മം തന്നെയാണ് തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കേണ്ടത്.
Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice)
Scene: A seeker at a crossroads: one path crowded with coercive service and agitation, the other a quiet path of self-directed dharmic work; above, a subtle luminous 'antarātman' presence blessing the serene choice.
FAQs
Right action is recognized by inner clarity and peace; dependency that erodes self-rule breeds sorrow.
No holy site is identified; the teaching is ethical and introspective.
No external rite; it prescribes selecting karma that leaves the antarātmā tranquil during performance.