Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64
यथा नास्तिकदुर्वृत्तो नानाशास्त्रोपदेशकान् । सोढुं शक्ता न ते वीरं महति स्यंदने स्थितम्
yathā nāstikadurvṛtto nānāśāstropadeśakān | soḍhuṃ śaktā na te vīraṃ mahati syaṃdane sthitam
Seperti si ateis yang rosak akhlaknya tidak mampu menahan para guru yang mengajar daripada pelbagai śāstra, demikianlah mereka tidak sanggup menanggung wira itu, yang tegak di atas kereta perangnya yang agung.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages
Scene: A split-vision allegory: foreground shows Tāraka steady on a massive chariot, devas unable to withstand him; background vignette shows a defiant nāstika turning away from calm teachers holding palm-leaf manuscripts, symbolizing rejection of śāstric counsel.
FAQs
Adharma resists śāstra and discipline; the impious mind cannot tolerate true instruction, just as divine hosts struggled before Tāraka’s force.
None is specified; the verse uses a dharma-ethical simile within the war narrative.
None; it is a moral comparison (dṛṣṭānta) rather than a ritual directive.