Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49
किं नास्ति वात्र भूपालो येनैतदसमंजसम् । ब्राह्मणस्य विशेषेण निर्दोषस्य महाजनाः
kiṃ nāsti vātra bhūpālo yenaitadasamaṃjasam | brāhmaṇasya viśeṣeṇa nirdoṣasya mahājanāḥ
“Tidakkah ada raja di sini, sehingga ketidakadilan seperti ini dibiarkan—terutama terhadap seorang brāhmaṇa yang tidak bersalah, wahai para mulia dalam kalangan besar?”
Puṣpa (addressing the gathered people; inferred)
Scene: The brāhmaṇa, supported by helpers, addresses the gathered ‘mahājanas’ with a forceful question about the absence of a king; the crowd turns as if toward a palace or court, anticipating judgment.
FAQs
Rulers are guardians of dharma; permitting injustice—especially toward the blameless—undermines social and spiritual order.
The teaching occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative space of Nāgarakhaṇḍa.
No ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights rājadharma (kingly duty) as a moral imperative.