Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40
विटप्रायं तु तं दृष्ट्वा मलिनांबरधारिणम् । तं प्रोवाच विहस्योच्चै देहि विप्राऽक्षताञ्जलम्
viṭaprāyaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā malināṃbaradhāriṇam | taṃ provāca vihasyoccai dehi viprā'kṣatāñjalam
Le voyant misérable, vêtu d’habits souillés, quelqu’un l’interpella à haute voix en riant : « Ô brāhmaṇa, donne-moi une poignée d’akṣata (riz intact) ! »
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A wretched figure in soiled clothes is laughed at by a bystander who calls out loudly, demanding akṣata; onlookers smirk; the insult hangs in the air.
FAQs
Ridicule and disrespect, especially toward ritual specialists, becomes a moral fault in Purāṇic dharma and often triggers corrective consequences.
No tīrtha is named; the verse depicts interpersonal conduct within the broader Māhātmya narrative.
Akṣata offered in an añjali (handful) is referenced, though here it appears in a mocking demand rather than a proper offering.