Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 92
स्वस्वभावविहीनानि हीनानि च तथा जलैः । कुत्सिता मंत्रवादा ये कुत्सिताश्च तपस्विनः
svasvabhāvavihīnāni hīnāni ca tathā jalaiḥ | kutsitā maṃtravādā ye kutsitāśca tapasvinaḥ
Pada zaman itu, manusia akan kehilangan tabiat sejati dan kawalan batin, serta merosot dalam kesucian—bahkan dalam hal asas seperti air. Para pedagang mantra menjadi hina, dan para tapasvin (pertapa) pun jatuh ke aib.
Bṛhaspati
Type: kshetra
Scene: A marketplace-like ghat where ‘mantra-sellers’ bargain; ascetics appear disheveled and quarrelsome; water jars look tainted; a sage’s gaze is sorrowful as he describes the loss of svabhāva.
FAQs
When dharma declines, even sacred disciplines (mantra and tapas) can be misused; inner character is the true measure of spiritual life.
This verse functions as yuga-dharma teaching within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tirtha is explicitly named in the verse.
No direct ritual is prescribed; it warns against degraded mantra-trade and loss of purity.