Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 128
न नीचैर्नाप्यविद्वद्भिर्नानात्मज्ञैर्विशेषतः । येषां त्रीण्यवदातानि योनिर्विद्या च कर्म च
na nīcairnāpyavidvadbhirnānātmajñairviśeṣataḥ | yeṣāṃ trīṇyavadātāni yonirvidyā ca karma ca
لا تُخالِط السُّفَلاء ولا الجُهّال، ولا سيّما مَن لا معرفةَ له بذاته. واطلب مَن طَهُرت فيه ثلاثٌ: النَّسَبُ، والعِلمُ، والسُّلوكُ.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced)
Scene: A seeker at a crossroads evaluating groups: one group noisy and coarse; another group composed, learned, and self-possessed; three luminous emblems hover near the worthy group—kula, vidyā, karma—depicted as a lamp, book, and balanced scale.
FAQs
Choose company that supports dharma: purity in conduct, learning, and rooted values; avoid association that breeds ignorance.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse is ethical instruction meant to guide seekers in any sacred setting.
None; it is a social-ethical prescription about whom to associate with.