Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63
विद्यामभिजनं लक्ष्मीं प्राप्य नीचनरो यथा । आपदां पात्रतामेति सिंधूनामिव सागरः
vidyāmabhijanaṃ lakṣmīṃ prāpya nīcanaro yathā | āpadāṃ pātratāmeti siṃdhūnāmiva sāgaraḥ
كما أن الرجل الوضيع إذا نال العلم وشرف النسب والغنى صار وعاءً صالحًا للمصائب—كذلك المحيط، إذ يتلقّى الأنهار، يغدو مستودعها.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: Allegorical tableau: a proud man crowned with books, jewels, and insignia stands beneath gathering storm clouds; beside him, rivers pour into a vast ocean labeled ‘āpada-pātra’, suggesting accumulation of consequences.
FAQs
Prosperity and status without inner refinement can attract downfall; dharma emphasizes virtue alongside learning and wealth.
No tīrtha is praised; the verse uses a moral analogy.
None; the focus is on ethical fitness rather than ritual practice.