Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 97
धर्ममर्थं च कामं च मोक्षं च नातुरो यतः । शक्तः साधयितुं तस्माद्युवा धर्मं समाचरेत्
dharmamarthaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca mokṣaṃ ca nāturo yataḥ | śaktaḥ sādhayituṃ tasmādyuvā dharmaṃ samācaret
முதுமையாலும் நோயாலும் பாதிக்கப்படாதவன் தர்மம், அர்த்தம், காமம், மேலும் மோக்ஷத்தையும் சாதிக்க வல்லவன்; ஆகையால் இளமையில் தர்மத்தைப் பின்பற்ற வேண்டும்.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)
Scene: A youthful seeker stands at a crossroads with four symbolic paths labeled dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa; he steps first onto the dharma path, holding prayer beads and a water pot.
FAQs
Do dharma early: youth and health provide the strength needed to pursue all four aims of life, including mokṣa.
No particular sacred site is identified in this verse.
A general prescription: “samācaret dharmam”—one should actively live by dharma while capable.