Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 30
स एव दंड्योऽभूत्तस्य राज्ञो मित्रजितः क्षितौ । यो विष्णुभक्तिरहितः प्राणैरपि धनैरपि
sa eva daṃḍyo'bhūttasya rājño mitrajitaḥ kṣitau | yo viṣṇubhaktirahitaḥ prāṇairapi dhanairapi
ใต้รัชกาลพระเจ้ามิตรชิตบนแผ่นดิน ผู้ที่ควรถูกลงทัณฑ์มีเพียงผู้เดียว คือผู้ปราศจากภักติแด่พระวิษณุ ไม่ว่าด้วยชีวิตหรือด้วยทรัพย์สิน
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative, typically Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: Royal court of Mitrajit: the king holds a scepter of justice; a lone offender stands aside marked not for crime against persons but for irreverence/lack of devotion; behind, devotees offer lamps to Hari, showing the realm’s standard.
FAQs
Bhakti is presented as the central public virtue; society is protected by aligning rule with devotion and dharma.
The Kāśī-kṣetra setting (Kāśīkhaṇḍa) where devotion is portrayed as the highest civic principle.
No specific rite; the verse stresses adherence to Viṣṇu-bhakti as a normative dharmic requirement.