Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26
गर्वः परोत्र विद्यानां धनगर्वोत्र वै महान् । मुक्तिगर्वेण नो भिक्षां प्रयच्छंत्यत्र वासिनः
garvaḥ parotra vidyānāṃ dhanagarvotra vai mahān | muktigarveṇa no bhikṣāṃ prayacchaṃtyatra vāsinaḥ
Di sini, kesombongan atas ilmu menjadi penghalang besar; di sini, kesombongan atas harta pun sungguh besar. Dan karena kesombongan tentang ‘pembebasan (mukti)’, para penghuni di sini tidak memberi sedekah (bhikṣā).
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages
Scene: A wealthy scholar in Kāśī turns away from a beggar; a humble devotee intervenes and offers alms; Śiva’s unseen gaze suggests moral accountability.
FAQs
Pride—whether in learning, wealth, or even spiritual attainment—undermines dharma and generosity.
Kāśī is the setting, teaching the inner qualifications needed to truly benefit from the sacred kṣetra.
An implied ethical instruction: avoid pride and cultivate generosity (bhikṣā/dāna), rather than withholding due to spiritual vanity.