Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 54
हठाद्वा लोकभीत्या वा स्वार्थाद्वा ब्रह्मचर्यभाक् । संकल्पयति चित्ते चेत्कृतमप्यकृतं तदा
haṭhādvā lokabhītyā vā svārthādvā brahmacaryabhāk | saṃkalpayati citte cetkṛtamapyakṛtaṃ tadā
Jika seseorang mengamalkan brahmacarya kerana paksaan, takut kepada masyarakat, atau demi kepentingan diri, namun di dalam hati masih menyimpan niat nafsu, maka apa yang zahirnya ‘telah dilakukan’ menjadi seolah-olah tidak dilakukan.
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A seeker in Kāśī sits near a ghat at dawn, outwardly austere, while within the mind a shadowy form of desire persists; a luminous inner flame (viveka) challenges the shadow.
FAQs
Spiritual discipline must be sincere; inner intention determines the true value of outward restraint.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s moral instruction in the Kāśī milieu.
No ritual is prescribed; it critiques insincere observance driven by fear, compulsion, or selfish motives.