Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
उत्तमाः प्रार्थयंति स्म मोक्षमेव हि केवलम् । गता यत्र निवर्तंते न कथंचिद्धरातले
uttamāḥ prārthayaṃti sma mokṣameva hi kevalam | gatā yatra nivartaṃte na kathaṃciddharātale
ผู้ประเสริฐย่อมอธิษฐานขอเพียงโมกษะเท่านั้น ครั้นถึงสภาวะนั้นแล้ว ย่อมไม่หวนกลับสู่แดนพิภพนี้ไม่ว่าประการใด
Ṛṣayaḥ (continuing their statement/contextual framing)
Listener: Ṛṣis
Scene: A serene depiction of an uttama seeker praying only for mokṣa; the earth realm fades behind while a luminous, formless or subtle ‘state’ is indicated—suggesting cessation of return; Sūta’s narration frames the ideal.
FAQs
The highest aim is mokṣa—freedom that ends the cycle of return to worldly existence.
This verse states the doctrine of liberation rather than naming a site; the kṣetra context is supplied by the surrounding chapter.
No explicit ritual; it highlights intention (prārthanā) for mokṣa as the mark of the uttama.