Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26
ये धूर्ता ये च दुर्वृत्ता ये चान्ये विजिगीषवः । तेषां कुटिलवृत्तीनामग्रे नैव वदेत्कथाम्
ye dhūrtā ye ca durvṛttā ye cānye vijigīṣavaḥ | teṣāṃ kuṭilavṛttīnāmagre naiva vadetkathām
Before the crafty, the immoral, and others driven by the desire to conquer, one should not speak the sacred discourse at all—especially in the presence of those of crooked conduct.
Narratorial Purāṇic voice (context not explicit in the snippet)
Scene: A narrator withholding the manuscript, gently turning away from a group of scheming, quarrelsome men; he instead moves toward a calm assembly of sādhus under a tree.
FAQs
Sacred teaching should be offered in a receptive, dharmic environment; hostile or deceitful audiences undermine the sanctity and purpose of kathā.
None; the focus is on discernment regarding the audience.
A practical restriction: do not recite Purāṇa-kathā in front of deceitful or immoral people.