Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 28
अधमानधमांस्त्यक्त्वा कुलमुत्कर्षतां नयेत् । उत्तमानुत्तमानेव गच्छेद्धीनांश्च वर्जयेत् । ब्राह्मणः श्रेष्ठतामेति प्रत्यवायेन शूद्रताम्
adhamānadhamāṃstyaktvā kulamutkarṣatāṃ nayet | uttamānuttamāneva gaccheddhīnāṃśca varjayet | brāhmaṇaḥ śreṣṭhatāmeti pratyavāyena śūdratām
Délaissant les compagnies viles et ignobles, qu’on élève sa lignée vers l’excellence. Qu’on n’aille qu’aux meilleurs et aux plus nobles, et qu’on évite les déchus. Un brāhmaṇa atteint l’éminence par la conduite juste ; mais par la transgression et le déclin, il tombe en un état inférieur.
Unspecified (Dharmāraṇyakhaṇḍa narrative voice; traditionally framed within Sūta’s discourse in Purāṇic setting)
Scene: A forked path: one road leads upward to a bright assembly of noble elders; the other slopes downward into a dim crowd of ignoble companions. A brāhmaṇa figure stands choosing, holding a scripture and water-pot.
FAQs
Character and association shape spiritual and social standing; noble conduct elevates, while persistent transgression causes decline.
No sacred site is named; the emphasis is on dhārmic society and conduct as a living ‘field’ of merit.
No ritual is prescribed; the injunction is ethical—seek the virtuous, avoid corrupting company, and uphold one’s dharma.