Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16
ज्ञानिनोपि यदा स्वार्थमाश्रित्य ध्यानमास्थिताः । दुःखार्त्तानीह सत्त्वानि क्व यास्यंति सुखं ततः
jñāninopi yadā svārthamāśritya dhyānamāsthitāḥ | duḥkhārttānīha sattvāni kva yāsyaṃti sukhaṃ tataḥ
“Apabila para bijaksana pun bermeditasi sambil berpaut pada kepentingan diri, di manakah makhluk yang menderita di dunia ini akan memperoleh kebahagiaan?”
Unnamed ṛṣi (contextual speaker within the narrative; later Śiva speaks at v.24)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A juxtaposition: the sage in a meditative posture, yet eyes open with compassion toward suffering creatures; the background shows the worldly scene of harm, implying that true contemplation must respond to visible duḥkha.
FAQs
Spiritual practice divorced from compassion fails society; dharma demands concern for suffering beings.
The discourse occurs within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, highlighting Prabhāsa as a dharma-educating pilgrimage field.
No direct prescription; the verse critiques self-centered spirituality and implies service/protection as dharma.