Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30
व्यर्थानि तत्र तीर्थानि म्लेच्छस्पृष्टानि सर्वशः । भविष्यंति सुरश्रेष्ठ प्रभावरहितानि च
vyarthāni tatra tīrthāni mlecchaspṛṣṭāni sarvaśaḥ | bhaviṣyaṃti suraśreṣṭha prabhāvarahitāni ca
ତେବେ ତୀର୍ଥମାନେ ସର୍ବତ୍ର ମ୍ଲେଚ୍ଛସ୍ପର୍ଶରେ ଦୂଷିତ ହୋଇ ନିଷ୍ଫଳ ହେବେ। ହେ ସୁରଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ, ସେମାନେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ପ୍ରଭାବରୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ବଞ୍ଚିତ ହେବେ।
Brahmā (contextual, addressing Surādhīśa/Suraśreṣṭha)
Tirtha: General tīrthas (implicit Prabhāsa/Arbuda tīrtha-network)
Type: ghat
Scene: Sacred ghats and fords shown neglected and defiled; the aura (prabhāva) depicted as a dimming radiance withdrawing from the waters while a small group of devotees tries to restore sanctity with lamps and mantra.
FAQs
Sacredness must be protected by dharmic conduct; when adharma dominates, even holy places can lose manifest efficacy.
This verse explains the crisis of tīrthas in Kali Yuga; the solution presented later is their relocation to Mount Arbuda.
No explicit ritual is given; it establishes the need for a protected tīrtha-region.