Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74
यस्य राज्ञः प्रजा राष्ट्रे पच्यते नरकेषु सः । अचौरं चौरवत्पश्येच्चौरं वाऽचौररूपिणम्
yasya rājñaḥ prajā rāṣṭre pacyate narakeṣu saḥ | acauraṃ cauravatpaśyeccauraṃ vā'caurarūpiṇam
ਜਿਸ ਰਾਜੇ ਦੇ ਰਾਜ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਜਾ ਨਰਕਾਂ ਵਿੱਚ ‘ਪਕਾਈ’ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਉਹੀ ਰਾਜਾ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਨਿਰਦੋਸ਼ ਨੂੰ ਚੋਰ ਵਾਂਗ ਵੇਖੇ, ਜਾਂ ਚੋਰ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਰਚੋਰ ਦੇ ਰੂਪ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੰਨੇ।
Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)
Scene: A king on the judgment seat: an innocent bound as ‘thief’ while a real thief stands disguised and honored; behind, a vision of naraka flames ‘cooking’ souls as karmic warning.
FAQs
Misjudgment and injustice by rulers is a grave adharma that leads to severe karmic consequence.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is rāja-dharma and karmic retribution.
None; it is an ethical injunction about correct discernment and justice.