Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19
श्राद्धे भुक्त्वाऽथ दत्त्वा वा यः श्राद्धं मानवाधमः । ग्रामातरं प्रयात्यत्र तच्छ्राद्धं व्यर्थतां व्रजेत्
śrāddhe bhuktvā'tha dattvā vā yaḥ śrāddhaṃ mānavādhamaḥ | grāmātaraṃ prayātyatra tacchrāddhaṃ vyarthatāṃ vrajet
ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ ഭക്ഷിച്ചോ ശ്രാദ്ധം നൽകിയോ ശേഷം, അവിടെ നിന്ന് മറ്റൊരു ഗ്രാമത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്ന അധമന്റെ ആ ശ്രാദ്ധം ഫലരഹിതമാകുന്നു।
Bhartṛyajña (didactic instruction within Śrāddha-kalpa)
Listener: King (implied by nearby address)
Scene: A traveler with staff and bundle stepping away from a śrāddha courtyard while the ritual space remains behind; a teacher figure gestures to stop him; the pitṛs above appear to recede, indicating loss of phala.
FAQs
After Śrāddha, one should maintain prescribed decorum and stability; frivolous departure is treated as disrespect that cancels merit.
The rule is given in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative setting of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
Do not immediately depart ‘from there’ to another village after participating in Śrāddha as eater or donor.