Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22
यः शास्त्रविधिमुत्सृज्य वर्तते कामकारतः । न स सिद्धिमवाप्नोति न सुखं न परां गतिम्
yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ | na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṃ na parāṃ gatim
ผู้ใดละทิ้งบัญญัติแห่งศาสตรา แล้วประพฤติตามความอยากและอำเภอใจ ผู้นั้นย่อมไม่บรรลุสิทธิ ไม่ได้สุข และไม่ถึงคติอันสูงสุด
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha framework (general)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Nṛpa (King) in Revā-khaṇḍa discourse
Scene: A forked path: one pilgrim follows a śāstra-bearing sage toward a tīrtha; another follows desire toward revelry, shown fading into shadow; above, a symbolic ‘parā gati’ light only on the disciplined path.
FAQs
Dharma requires guidance and restraint; desire-driven living without śāstra leads to failure in worldly and spiritual aims.
No particular tīrtha is mentioned; the verse sets a universal rule for all religious practice, including tīrtha-yātrā.
Adhere to śāstra-vidhi rather than personal whim when undertaking rites, vows, expiation, and pilgrimage.