Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 39
पूयं चिकित्सकस्यान्नं पुंश्चल्यास्त्वन्नमिन्द्रियम् । विष्ठा वार्धुषिकस्यान्नं शस्त्रविक्रयिणो मलम्
pūyaṃ cikitsakasyānnaṃ puṃścalyāstvannamindriyam | viṣṭhā vārdhuṣikasyānnaṃ śastravikrayiṇo malam
طعامُ الطبيبِ كأنه قيحٌ؛ وطعامُ البغيّ كأنه سقوطُ الحواسّ (indriya)؛ وطعامُ المرابي كأنه غائطٌ؛ وطعامُ بائعِ السلاح كأنه قذرٌ.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A stark allegory: four bowls labeled by profession transform into symbolic substances—pus, a broken sense-organ motif, excrement, and grime—while a pilgrim recoils and a sage points toward a pure offering (milk/fruits) before Somnātha.
FAQs
Livelihood and morality ‘flavor’ food; dharma warns that food tied to harmful trades or passions can pollute mind and destiny.
Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Māhātmya teaches discipline suited to a sacred pilgrimage environment.
It discourages accepting food from certain professions by expressing their karmic taint through strong metaphors.