Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19
देवतासु गुरौ पित्रोस्तथा राजकुलेषु च । कौटिल्यमाचरन्मोहात्सद्यो नश्यति सान्वयः
devatāsu gurau pitrostathā rājakuleṣu ca | kauṭilyamācaranmohātsadyo naśyati sānvayaḥ
If, out of delusion, one practices crookedness toward the deities, the guru, the parents, or within royal households, one’s lineage and standing are swiftly ruined.
Dvijakumārakau (contextual continuation of their reply)
Scene: Didactic moment: the youths (or narrator) articulate a moral law—deceit against deity, guru, parents, or king destroys lineage—shown as symbolic vignettes around a central figure of Dharma holding a staff/scale.
FAQs
Deceit toward sacred authorities (deities, guru, parents, and king) destroys merit, reputation, and family continuity.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharma-warning.
None; it prescribes ethical restraint (avoidance of crooked conduct).