Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69
वृत्तं तस्मात्तु संरक्षेद्वित्तमेति गतं पुनः । अक्षीणो वित्ततः क्षीणो वृत्ततस्तु हतो हतः
vṛttaṃ tasmāttu saṃrakṣedvittameti gataṃ punaḥ | akṣīṇo vittataḥ kṣīṇo vṛttatastu hato hataḥ
അതുകൊണ്ട് സദ്വൃത്തം സംരക്ഷിക്കണം; ധനം പോയാലും വീണ്ടും വരാം. ധനനഷ്ടം വന്നവൻ യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ നശിച്ചവൻ അല്ല; എന്നാൽ വൃത്തനഷ്ടം വന്നവൻ തീർച്ചയായും നശിച്ചവൻ തന്നേ.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A moral allegory: on one side, a person losing coins yet standing firm; on the other, a person with wealth but falling into moral darkness. A central figure guards a lamp labeled ‘vṛtta’ (conduct), symbolizing the protected inner light.
FAQs
Moral conduct is the true capital; losing wealth is recoverable, but losing dharmic conduct is spiritual ruin.
Prabhāsakṣetra, where the māhātmya ties pilgrimage merit to sustained ethical conduct.
A practical injunction: protect vṛtta (right conduct/right livelihood) as essential for all religious acts, including dāna.