Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
क्रमोऽयं सर्ववर्णानां प्रकृतीनां सदैव हि । क्रमेण रहितो यस्तु करोति मनुजो जपम् । तस्य प्रकुप्यति विभुर्नरकादिप्रदायकः
kramo'yaṃ sarvavarṇānāṃ prakṛtīnāṃ sadaiva hi | krameṇa rahito yastu karoti manujo japam | tasya prakupyati vibhurnarakādipradāyakaḥ
ഈ ക്രമം എല്ലാ വർണ്ണങ്ങൾക്കും സാധാരണ ജനങ്ങൾക്കും എപ്പോഴും സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്. യഥാക്രമമില്ലാതെ ജപം ചെയ്യുന്ന മനുഷ്യനോടു വിഭു കോപിച്ചു, നരകാദി ദുഃഖഫലദാതാവാകുന്നു।
Śiva (Mahādeva)
Scene: A stern didactic moment: the Lord’s face turns grave as he warns of consequences for disorderly japa; imagery of a scale of dharma vs. naraka as symbolic backdrop.
FAQs
Discipline and correctness in sacred practice matter; careless or ruleless recitation is portrayed as spiritually harmful.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on mantra-krama as part of the māhātmya discourse.
Japa should be performed following the prescribed order (krama); violating the rule is warned against.