Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 93
प्रतिग्रहाग्निहोत्राश्च वृथा दारा वृथाश्रमाः । सदा क्षेत्राणि तीर्थानि लोभादेव गमिष्यथ
pratigrahāgnihotrāśca vṛthā dārā vṛthāśramāḥ | sadā kṣetrāṇi tīrthāni lobhādeva gamiṣyatha
تمہارا ہدیہ قبول کرنا اور اگنی ہوترا بے ثمر ہوگا؛ بے ثمر ہوں گے تمہارے گھر بار، بے ثمر ہوں گے تمہارے آشرم۔ اور تم ہمیشہ لالچ ہی سے مقدس کھیتر اور تیرتھوں کی طرف جاؤ گے۔
Sāvitrī (contextual continuation of the curse upon the ṛtvij Brāhmaṇas)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A stern female ascetic/śakti-figure admonishes ritualists: priests with ladles and agnihotra fires, pilgrims with travel staffs and offering baskets, all shown with anxious faces as the word ‘vṛthā’ is implied by withering flames and dimmed halos.
FAQs
Pilgrimage and ritual lose merit when driven by greed; tīrtha-yātrā must be rooted in śraddhā and purity.
Tīrthas and kṣetras are praised implicitly as truly merit-giving when approached rightly; the chapter’s setting remains Prabhāsakṣetra.
Agnihotra and gift-acceptance (pratigraha) are referenced; the teaching is ethical—warning that these become ‘vṛthā’ without dharmic intent.