Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3
आगच्छन्तो व्रजन्तस्ते मार्गे क्षेत्रे च तत्र च । भक्षयन्ति जनौघांश्च बालवृद्धाञ्जनानपि
āgacchanto vrajantaste mārge kṣetre ca tatra ca | bhakṣayanti janaughāṃśca bālavṛddhāñjanānapi
جب وہ آتے جاتے تھے—راستوں پر اور وہاں کے مقدّس کِشیتر میں بھی—وہ لوگوں کے ہجوم کو، بچوں اور بوڑھوں سمیت، نگل جاتے تھے۔
Sūta (continuing narration)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A crowded pilgrimage road near a sacred precinct; shadowy rākṣasa figures ambush and seize travelers; children and elders are shown in peril; the kṣetra boundary markers and distant shrine silhouettes emphasize sacrilege.
FAQs
A kṣetra’s sanctity calls for protection of pilgrims; adharma can manifest even near holy places, prompting the need for righteous guardianship.
The kṣetra associated with the liṅgas of Adhyāya 104, described as a sacred precinct affected by Rākṣasa activity.
No ritual is prescribed; the verse describes an obstacle (vighna) to pilgrimage and worship—harm to travelers and residents.