Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53
जिह्वाकामोपभो गार्थं यस्यारंभः स्वकर्मसु । मूल्येनाध्यापयेद्यस्तु मूल्येनाधीयते च ये
jihvākāmopabho gārthaṃ yasyāraṃbhaḥ svakarmasu | mūlyenādhyāpayedyastu mūlyenādhīyate ca ye
Wer seine Werke nur zum Genuss der Zunge und der Sinneslust beginnt; und wer gegen Entgelt lehrt, ebenso wie jene, die gegen Entgelt lernen—dies alles zählt zu den getadelten Praktiken.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)
Scene: A student sits before a guru near a Śiva shrine; the student offers simple fruits/cloth as dakṣiṇā (not a fee), while temptations of rich coins and lavish feasts are shown fading away; the guru points to a manuscript, emphasizing sacred transmission.
FAQs
Work and learning should be rooted in dharma, not mere sensual indulgence or commercialization of sacred knowledge.
No tīrtha is named; the focus is on ethical standards for conduct and education.
No ritual is prescribed; it discusses standards around svadharma and the purity of teaching/learning.