Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 142
मुनिरुवाच । के नाम न विनश्यंति मूढज्ञाना नितंबिनीम् । रम्यबुद्ध्योपसर्पंति ये ज्वालाः शलभा इव
muniruvāca | ke nāma na vinaśyaṃti mūḍhajñānā nitaṃbinīm | ramyabuddhyopasarpaṃti ye jvālāḥ śalabhā iva
Sang muni berkata: “Siapakah yang tidak binasa—mereka yang ‘ilmunya’ hanyalah kebodohan—apabila mendekati wanita yang menggoda dengan fikiran menganggapnya indah, laksana rama-rama malam menerpa nyala api?”
Muni (sage)
Listener: Kanyā
Scene: A stark allegory: moths fly into a bright flame; beside it, a man approaches a seductive figure, shadowed by impending ruin; the sage’s words hover as moral commentary.
FAQs
Uncontrolled desire, fueled by delusion, leads to self-destruction—like moths drawn to fire—so discernment must guide conduct.
None is named explicitly in this verse.
No ritual instruction appears; it is a warning framed through a vivid simile.