Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 67
तस्माद्दोषादिमे राजन्गुणा यद्यपि कीर्तिताः । प्रेतानां यान्समाश्रित्य काचित्सिद्धिर्न जायते
tasmāddoṣādime rājanguṇā yadyapi kīrtitāḥ | pretānāṃ yānsamāśritya kācitsiddhirna jāyate
เพราะเหตุแห่งโทษนั้น โอ้พระราชา! แม้จะกล่าวถึง “คุณ” เหล่านี้ก็ตาม แต่เหล่าเปรตที่อาศัยสิ่งเหล่านี้ ย่อมไม่บังเกิดสิทธิอันแท้จริงใดๆ
Preta(s) (departed spirits) addressing the king
Type: kshetra
Listener: rājan / king
Scene: The speaker addresses the king: despite being described as possessing certain ‘qualities’, pretas relying on them gain no true accomplishment due to their inherent defect/condition.
FAQs
Even seemingly advantageous conditions become fruitless when rooted in a defective state; dharma-based purification is required for true progress.
Not directly named in this verse; it supports the larger tīrtha-māhātmya rationale for remedial sacred actions.
None explicitly; it reinforces the need for corrective rites for pretas rather than reliance on incidental ‘powers’.