Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17
एकमप्यक्षरं यस्तु गुरुः शिष्ये निवेदयेत् । पृथिव्यां नास्ति तद्द्रव्यं यद्दत्त्वा ह्यनृणी भवेत्
ekamapyakṣaraṃ yastu guruḥ śiṣye nivedayet | pṛthivyāṃ nāsti taddravyaṃ yaddattvā hyanṛṇī bhavet
たとえ師が弟子にただ一つの音節を授けるだけであっても、それを捧げて真にその恩の負い目を免れ得る財は、この地上に存在しない。
Skanda (deduced from teacher-honoring phalaśruti sequence)
Scene: A guru gently teaching a single syllable to a student; the student bows deeply, offering symbolic gifts that appear inadequate, while a radiant script-letter (akṣara) glows between them to show its immeasurable value.
FAQs
The gift of sacred knowledge is beyond material valuation; gratitude and reverence toward the guru are central to dharma.
Dvārakā is the narrative context, though the verse primarily glorifies the guru principle within Purāṇic tradition.
No specific rite is named; it implies that honoring and supporting the teacher is a dharmic obligation beyond repayment.