Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74
धार्मिकः पूज्यते तत्र पापः पाशगलो भवेत् । धार्मिकश्च यथा याति तं मार्गं शृणु वच्मि ते
dhārmikaḥ pūjyate tatra pāpaḥ pāśagalo bhavet | dhārmikaśca yathā yāti taṃ mārgaṃ śṛṇu vacmi te
ที่นั่นผู้ทรงธรรมย่อมได้รับการบูชา ส่วนคนบาปย่อมถูกผูกด้วยบ่วงบาศ บัดนี้จงฟังเถิดว่า ผู้ทรงธรรมเดินทางไปตามหนทางนั้นอย่างไร—เราจะกล่าวแก่ท่าน
Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)
Listener: a sage/audience (contextual)
Scene: Two contrasted processions: a dhārmika honored with respectful attendants and open path; a pāpī bound by a noose, dragged aside. The narrator gestures, promising to describe the righteous path.
FAQs
Dharma brings dignity and protection even beyond death, while pāpa results in bondage and humiliation.
None; the verse transitions to describing the righteous person’s path rather than a location’s māhātmya.
No single rite is stated; it introduces the topic of merits that ease the path, expanded in subsequent verses.