Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 95
नास्तिका भिन्नमर्यादा ये च विप्रस्य घातकाः । ते सर्वेऽत्र नरा नित्यमारुहंति पतंति च
nāstikā bhinnamaryādā ye ca viprasya ghātakāḥ | te sarve'tra narā nityamāruhaṃti pataṃti ca
Golongan nāstika (tidak beriman), mereka yang melanggar batas dharma, dan mereka yang mencederakan seorang Brāhmaṇa—semua insan demikian di tempat ini sentiasa naik lalu jatuh, mengalami kejatuhan berulang-ulang.
Narratorial voice (Sūta implied by Māhātmya context)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A didactic tableau: a sacred precinct where impious figures attempt to ascend (symbolic ladders/steps) only to fall, while righteous pilgrims proceed steadily; a brāhmaṇa stands as dharma-witness.
FAQs
Disrespecting dharma—especially violence toward a Brāhmaṇa—causes repeated downfall; sacred places intensify moral consequences.
The verse belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.
No ritual is prescribed here; it warns about ethical transgressions and their karmic results.