Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48
अपूज्याद्वाचकाद्यस्तु श्लोकमेकं शृणोति च । नासौ पुण्यमवाप्नोति शास्त्रचौरः स्मृतो हि सः
apūjyādvācakādyastu ślokamekaṃ śṛṇoti ca | nāsau puṇyamavāpnoti śāstracauraḥ smṛto hi saḥ
Mais quiconque entend ne fût-ce qu’un seul vers d’un récitant qui n’a pas été honoré comme il se doit, n’obtient aucun mérite ; en vérité, on se souvient de lui comme d’un voleur d’Écriture.
Śiva (Īśvara)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A recitation assembly where the speaker sits unhonored; a listener leans in to hear a verse, while a subtle dark aura symbolizes ‘śāstra-caurya’; elders gesture to correct the lapse by offering respect.
FAQs
Receiving sacred teaching without due respect to the transmitter is treated as adharma and yields no puṇya.
The instruction occurs within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, tied to Prabhāsa’s dharma traditions.
One must first honor (pūjā) the vācaka; otherwise even listening to ślokas is fruitless.