Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 44
वृथा क्लेशश्च जायेत ब्राह्मणे ह्यग्निहोत्रिणि । असत्प्रतिग्रहं कुर्वन्गुप्तं नीचस्य गर्हितम्
vṛthā kleśaśca jāyeta brāhmaṇe hyagnihotriṇi | asatpratigrahaṃ kurvanguptaṃ nīcasya garhitam
Bagi seorang Brāhmaṇa yang menunaikan agnihotra, penderitaan timbul dengan sia-sia apabila dia melakukan penerimaan hadiah yang tidak wajar—rendah lagi tercela—terutama jika dilakukan secara tersembunyi.
Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate context of dialogue in Revā Khaṇḍa)
Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)
Type: river
Listener: null
Scene: A brāhmaṇa agnihotrin performs agnihotra, but a dark veil symbolizes secret wrongdoing; the fire’s smoke turns heavy, indicating ‘vr̥thā kleśa’; a small figure whispers (gupte) near a gift bundle marked as ‘nīca’.
FAQs
Ritual discipline is nullified by unethical, secretive acceptance of improper gifts; it yields only futile suffering.
No particular tīrtha is named; the verse is a dharma instruction within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative frame.
Avoid asat-pratigraha, especially hidden or censured forms, even if one is an agnihotrin.