Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
ब्राह्मणेन न भोक्तव्यं समायाते निमंत्रणे । अथ भुंक्ते च यो मोहात्स प्रयाति ह्यधोगतिम्
brāhmaṇena na bhoktavyaṃ samāyāte nimaṃtraṇe | atha bhuṃkte ca yo mohātsa prayāti hyadhogatim
പുതിയ ക്ഷണം വന്ന സമയത്ത് ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ അപ്പോൾ ഭക്ഷിക്കരുത്; മോഹവശാൽ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ നിശ്ചയമായും അധോഗതിയിലേക്കു വീഴും।
Bhartṛyajña (Śrāddha-kalpa instruction)
Scene: A brāhmaṇa seated to eat while a messenger arrives with an invitation; the brāhmaṇa hesitates, then either refrains (ideal) or eats (warning); a downward path motif symbolizes ‘adhogati’.
FAQs
Discipline and correct timing are part of ritual purity; ignoring them is spiritually harmful.
The instruction belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya context in Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
A Brāhmaṇa should refrain from eating at the improper moment connected with an arriving invitation; deluded violation leads to downfall.