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
Aun cuando esté muriendo, un rey no debe tomar tributo de un Brāhmaṇa. Y un Brāhmaṇa que habita en el reino no debe ser dejado a desfallecer por el hambre.
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.