Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42
एकमप्यक्षरं यस्तु गुरुः शिष्ये निवेदयेत् । पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद्द्रव्यं यद्दत्त्वा ह्यनृणी भवेत्
ekamapyakṣaraṃ yastu guruḥ śiṣye nivedayet | pṛthivyāṃ nāsti taddravyaṃ yaddattvā hyanṛṇī bhavet
Même si un guru n’enseigne à son disciple qu’une seule syllabe, il n’existe sur la terre aucune richesse qui—fût-elle donnée—puisse rendre quelqu’un véritablement quitte de cette dette.
Sūta (deduced)
Tirtha: Citreśvarīpīṭha-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame; not explicit here)
Scene: A guru seated with a disciple; the guru gently utters a single syllable (akṣara) while pointing to a palm-leaf; the disciple offers heaps of coins and jewels, yet the guru’s calm gesture indicates the gift is beyond price—emphasizing humility over wealth.
FAQs
Knowledge received from a guru is priceless; gratitude and lifelong reverence are the proper response, beyond material repayment.
The verse supports the māhātmya’s concluding dharma (how to honor transmission), rather than naming a distinct tīrtha.
No specific rite is mandated; the teaching underscores guru-veneration as a dharmic obligation beyond monetary compensation.