Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67
त्वया हि बद्धा ऋषयस्ते चरन्तीह कर्मभिः । तां त्वां कथमृषिः शप्तुं शक्नुयाद्वरवर्णिनि
tvayā hi baddhā ṛṣayaste carantīha karmabhiḥ | tāṃ tvāṃ kathamṛṣiḥ śaptuṃ śaknuyādvaravarṇini
“Sesungguhnya, olehmu para ṛṣi sendiri terikat lalu bergerak di dunia ini di bawah dorongan karma. Maka bagaimana mungkin seorang ṛṣi mampu menyumpahmu, wahai wanita yang elok lagi mulia?”
Govinda (Śrī Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
Tirtha: Dvārakā
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (addressed as varavarṇinī)
Scene: Kṛṣṇa asserts the hierarchy: sages bound by karma, Devī beyond being truly ‘cursable’; the scene balances reverence for ṛṣis with the supremacy of divine śakti.
FAQs
It asserts divine sovereignty: even great sages operate within karma, while the supreme divine power stands beyond such limitation.
The discourse belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya, situating the teaching within the sanctified landscape of Dvārakā.
No ritual is stated; the verse addresses the metaphysical status of curses and karmic bondage.