Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58
प्रतिग्रहे समर्था हि ये प्रतिग्रहवर्जिताः । त एते मत्प्रिया विप्रास्त्यक्ततीर्थ प्रतिग्रहाः
pratigrahe samarthā hi ye pratigrahavarjitāḥ | ta ete matpriyā viprāstyaktatīrtha pratigrahāḥ
जो दान-ग्रहण में समर्थ होकर भी दान लेना छोड़ देते हैं—विशेषतः तीर्थ-जीविका से जुड़े प्रतिग्रह का त्याग करने वाले वे ब्राह्मण मुझे प्रिय हैं।
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit in verse)
Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa at a ghat politely declining offered coins while blessing the donor; nearby, pilgrims perform simple worship without ostentation; the scene emphasizes dignity, restraint, and non-transactional sanctity.
FAQs
Integrity and non-exploitation of sacred places—refusing gifts despite eligibility—is praised as beloved to the divine.
No single tīrtha is named; the verse addresses ethical conduct related to tīrthas in general.
A moral prescription: avoid pratigraha (gift-acceptance), especially as a livelihood connected to pilgrimage.