Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48
स नंदभद्रं धर्मिष्ठं पुनः पुनरसूयत । नास्तिकः स दुराचारः सत्यव्रत इति श्रुतः
sa naṃdabhadraṃ dharmiṣṭhaṃ punaḥ punarasūyata | nāstikaḥ sa durācāraḥ satyavrata iti śrutaḥ
Again and again he envied Nandabhadra, the most righteous in dharma. That man was an unbeliever and of evil conduct, though he was reputed to be “Satyavrata,” one vowed to truth.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced)
Scene: A shadowy figure watches a serene, dharmic householder (Nandabhadra) from behind a pillar; the watcher’s face shows envy while the righteous man appears calm and luminous, suggesting inner purity vs outer pretense.
FAQs
Outer reputation cannot replace inner virtue; envy reveals moral decline even when one bears a lofty name.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the focus is on character and moral conflict.
None; the verse describes envy and hypocrisy as spiritual faults.