Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95
म्रियमाणोऽप्याददीत न राजा ब्राह्मणात्करम् । न च क्षुधा ऽस्य संसीदेद्ब्राह्मणो विषये वसन्
mriyamāṇo'pyādadīta na rājā brāhmaṇātkaram | na ca kṣudhā 'sya saṃsīdedbrāhmaṇo viṣaye vasan
ولو كان على شفا الموت، فلا ينبغي للملك أن يأخذ خراجًا من براهمن (Brāhmaṇa). ولا يجوز أن يُترك البراهمن المقيم في مملكة الملك يذبل من الجوع.
Śiva (deduced from nearby verses identifying Brāhmaṇas as Śiva’s form)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Audience seeking tīrtha and dharma instruction
Scene: A king refuses to accept tax from a humble brāhmaṇa; instead he orders food distribution. The brāhmaṇa is shown dignified, not destitute, emphasizing the king’s duty to prevent hunger.
FAQs
Rājadharma requires protecting and sustaining Brāhmaṇas; exploiting them through taxation or neglect is adharma.
Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa.
A governance-based injunction: do not levy taxes on Brāhmaṇas and ensure they are fed—an implied form of dāna and protection.