Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31
कालशाकं सकटुकं मुखाऽधिजनकं महत् । कस्माद्यच्छसि चास्माकं भक्त्या परमया युतः । न श्राद्धे प्रतिषेधश्च प्रकर्तव्यः कथंचन
kālaśākaṃ sakaṭukaṃ mukhā'dhijanakaṃ mahat | kasmādyacchasi cāsmākaṃ bhaktyā paramayā yutaḥ | na śrāddhe pratiṣedhaśca prakartavyaḥ kathaṃcana
परम भक्तीने युक्त असूनही तुम्ही आम्हाला काळशाक का देता, जे कडू-तिखट असून तोंडात तीव्र दाह निर्माण करते? श्राद्धकर्मात कोणत्याही प्रकारची अयोग्यता कधीही आणू नये.
Brāhmaṇas addressing the king
Listener: King
Scene: A brāhmaṇa elder, compassionate yet firm, points to a dish of dark leafy greens with sharp spices; he warns the king that śrāddha admits no prohibited innovation; the king’s face shows remorse and attentiveness.
FAQs
Devotion must be guided by discernment; śrāddha requires careful avoidance of unsuitable offerings.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the ritual-dharma layer within a tīrtha narrative.
It advises that in śrāddha one should not introduce improper/unsuitable items—here, pungent mouth-irritating food.