Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51
भृत्यानामुपरोधेन यत्करोत्यौर्ध्वदैहिकम् । तद्भवत्यसुखोदकं जीवतोऽस्य मृतस्य च
bhṛtyānāmuparodhena yatkarotyaurdhvadaihikam | tadbhavatyasukhodakaṃ jīvato'sya mṛtasya ca
Bất cứ nghi lễ hậu sự nào làm ra bằng cách ngăn trở và áp bức người hầu kẻ dưới, đều hóa thành “nước sầu”, đem bất an cho người ấy khi còn sống lẫn sau khi chết.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Listener: Rājan (King)
Scene: A householder prepares śrāddha offerings while a distressed servant is obstructed or mistreated; the offered water turns symbolically dark, signifying ‘asukhodaka’, while ancestors appear unsatisfied in the background.
FAQs
Rituals lose merit when performed through injustice; ethical means are integral to spiritual benefit.
No specific tīrtha is praised; the verse addresses the moral quality of śrāddha-related acts.
Perform aurdhvadaihika (post-death) rites without exploiting or harming servants/dependents.