Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30
देशस्त्रैशं कवोनाम वर्जितः श्राद्धकर्मणि । कारस्काराः कलिंगाश्च सिंधोरुत्तरमेव च । प्रणष्टाश्रमधर्माश्च वर्ज्या देशाः प्रयत्नतः
deśastraiśaṃ kavonāma varjitaḥ śrāddhakarmaṇi | kāraskārāḥ kaliṃgāśca siṃdhoruttarameva ca | praṇaṣṭāśramadharmāśca varjyā deśāḥ prayatnataḥ
تریشَنکَو نامی سرزمین شرادھ کے کرم میں ممنوع ہے۔ اسی طرح کارسکار، کلنگ، اور سندھُو کے پار شمالی علاقہ؛ اور جن ملکوں میں آشرم دھرم کی پابندیاں مٹ چکی ہوں—ان سب کو کوشش کے ساتھ ترک کرنا چاہیے۔
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (as the implied recommended alternative)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A pilgrim caravan consults a sage; behind them are signposts naming regions (Traiśaṃkava, Kaliṅga, Sindhu-uttara). The sage gestures toward a bright path leading to a dhārmika tīrtha, while the avoided regions appear dim with broken hermitages symbolizing ‘pranaṣṭāśrama-dharma’.
FAQs
Ritual efficacy is linked to dhārmic order; where āśrama-dharma collapses, rites like Śrāddha are discouraged.
The verse belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya, framing Prabhāsa as a dhārmically suitable sphere in contrast to prohibited regions.
Avoid Śrāddha in Traiśaṃkava and other specified regions, and generally where āśrama-dharma is lost.