Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86
कथं धर्मच्छलेनास्मिन्निमज्जेयमसाधुवत् । पितुराज्ञा परो धर्मो ह्यधर्मो मातृरक्षणम्
kathaṃ dharmacchalenāsminnimajjeyamasādhuvat | piturājñā paro dharmo hyadharmo mātṛrakṣaṇam
ധർമ്മത്തിൻ്റെ പേരിൽ ഒരു ദുഷ്ടനെപ്പോലെ ഞാൻ ഇതിൽ എങ്ങനെ മുഴുകും? പിതാവിൻ്റെ ആജ്ഞ പരമധർമ്മമാണ്, എന്നാൽ മാതാവിനെ രക്ഷിക്കാതിരിക്കുന്നത് അധർമ്മമാണ്.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating Cirakārī’s reasoning (deduced)
Scene: The protagonist raises a hand as if stopping himself, eyes sharp with self-questioning; behind him a shadowy figure labeled ‘dharma’ tries to pull him toward a dark act, while a luminous maternal figure symbolizes protection.
FAQs
One must not commit sin by masking it as ‘dharma’; true righteousness demands honest discernment, not convenient justification.
No tīrtha is praised; the focus is on dharma-vicāra and the danger of ‘dharma’ used as a cover for harm.
None—this verse is philosophical-ethical, not ritual.