Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47
आदेशं पठते यस्तु संजिघृक्षुः प्रतिग्रहम् । तीर्थे चैव विशेषेण ब्रह्मघ्नः सैव नेतरः । स्थितो वै नृपतेर्द्वारि न कुर्याद्वेदविक्रयम्
ādeśaṃ paṭhate yastu saṃjighṛkṣuḥ pratigraham | tīrthe caiva viśeṣeṇa brahmaghnaḥ saiva netaraḥ | sthito vai nṛpaterdvāri na kuryādvedavikrayam
ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കാനുള്ള മോഹത്തോടെ ‘ആദേശ’ം പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ—പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ—ബ്രഹ്മഘ്നനോടു തുല്യൻ; അവൻ യഥാർത്ഥ മാർഗദർശകൻ അല്ല. രാജദ്വാരത്തിൽ നിന്നാലും വേദവിക്രയം ഒരിക്കലും ചെയ്യരുത്.
Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A would-be ‘guide’ at a tīrtha recites a formal authorization while eyeing gifts; the text brands him a brahma-ghna. A contrasting figure refuses to commercialize Veda even at a royal gate, standing firm in dharma.
FAQs
Sacred knowledge and tīrtha-service must not be commercialized; greed in holy places is treated as a grave dharmic offense.
Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where conduct at the tīrtha is held to a stricter standard.
A clear prohibition: do not sell the Veda or recite for payment under the pretext of authorization, especially at a tīrtha.