Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23
प्रत्येकं वा पतन्त्येते मग्ना नरकसागरे । दुर्लभं मानुषं जन्म बहुधर्मार्जितं नृप
pratyekaṃ vā patantyete magnā narakasāgare | durlabhaṃ mānuṣaṃ janma bahudharmārjitaṃ nṛpa
Wahai raja, setiap seorang daripada mereka jatuh, tenggelam dalam lautan neraka. Kelahiran sebagai manusia amat sukar diperoleh, hanya diraih melalui himpunan dharma yang banyak.
Unspecified (didactic narrator addressing a king; continuity with Yudhiṣṭhira address suggests a Mahābhārata-linked frame)
Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) context
Type: kshetra
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (explicitly addressed as nṛpa)
Scene: A contemplative king listens as a sage points to an ocean-like expanse labeled ‘nāraka-sāgara’ with figures sinking; above, a radiant human form stands on a narrow bridge of dharma, symbolizing the rare chance of human birth.
FAQs
Human birth is a rare, merit-earned opportunity; wasting it through adharma leads to grave suffering.
Indirectly the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape, since the chapter’s aim is to orient the listener toward purifying dharma and pilgrimage.
No direct ritual is prescribed; the emphasis is on valuing human life and accumulating dharma.