Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46
ब्रह्मोवाच । मया दत्तवरश्चासौ मयैवोच्छिद्यते नहि । स्वयं संवर्ध्य कटुकं छेत्तुं कोऽपि न चार्हति
brahmovāca | mayā dattavaraścāsau mayaivocchidyate nahi | svayaṃ saṃvardhya kaṭukaṃ chettuṃ ko'pi na cārhati
พระพรหมตรัสว่า “เรานี่เองเป็นผู้ประทานพรแก่เขา แต่ไม่สมควรที่เราจะทำลายเขาเอง ผู้ใดเลี้ยงดูหน่ออันขมไว้ด้วยตน ย่อมไม่ควรเป็นผู้ตัดมันลง”
Brahmā
Scene: Brahmā speaks calmly, explaining why he cannot personally destroy Tāraka; his serenity contrasts with the devas’ agitation, emphasizing nīti and cosmic law.
FAQs
Power conferred without discernment can mature into suffering; dharma demands accountability and a balanced, non-arbitrary restoration of order.
Indirectly within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya framework; the episode supports the larger sacred-geography narrative leading to Śiva’s darśana.
No ritual is prescribed; the verse is a doctrinal statement about propriety and cosmic responsibility.