Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16
किं धनं च हरंत्येते येभ्यो बिभ्यति ब्राह्मणाः । नारद उवाच । कामक्रोधादयश्चौरास्तप एव धनं तथा
kiṃ dhanaṃ ca haraṃtyete yebhyo bibhyati brāhmaṇāḥ | nārada uvāca | kāmakrodhādayaścaurāstapa eva dhanaṃ tathā
«Quelle richesse dérobent-ils, pour que même les brāhmanes les craignent ?» Nārada répondit : «Le désir, la colère et les autres sont les voleurs ; et la richesse qu’ils dérobent est le tapas lui-même, l’austérité spirituelle».
Nārada
Listener: Arjuna
Scene: Nārada, calm and luminous, instructs Arjuna; behind them, personified Kāma and Krodha attempt to snatch a glowing ‘tapas’ jewel or flame from a meditating ascetic, illustrating theft of spiritual power.
FAQs
The greatest robbers are inner vices—desire and anger—because they steal tapas and thereby diminish spiritual power and merit.
The teaching is delivered within a tīrtha narrative, but the verse itself glorifies inner discipline rather than a named site.
Implicit discipline: guarding tapas by restraining kāma, krodha, and allied vices.