Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50
मा नाथ कुरु पद्मानां विक्रयं धनलोभतः । कुरुष्व च हितं वाक्यं यत्ते वक्ष्यामि सांप्रतम्
mā nātha kuru padmānāṃ vikrayaṃ dhanalobhataḥ | kuruṣva ca hitaṃ vākyaṃ yatte vakṣyāmi sāṃpratam
«Non, mon seigneur, ne vends pas ces lotus par avidité d’argent. Fais ce qui est vraiment salutaire : écoute ce que je vais te dire à présent».
The wife (dayitā) advising her husband
Type: kshetra
Scene: A basket of fresh lotuses between the couple; the wife gestures gently to stop the sale, pointing instead toward a temple path or riverbank, indicating a better course.
FAQs
Worship should not be compromised by greed; dharmic benefit (hita) is higher than immediate profit.
The wider chapter’s devotion is directed to Mahākāla in a tīrtha-māhātmya setting; this verse focuses on ethical conduct rather than naming the site.
An implied prescription: preserve the sacred lotuses for pūjā instead of selling them for wealth.