Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 19
तेषां त्रयाणां मध्ये च विद्या मुख्यो महागुणः । विद्यां विनांधवद्विप्राश्चक्षुष्मंतो हि ते मताः
teṣāṃ trayāṇāṃ madhye ca vidyā mukhyo mahāguṇaḥ | vidyāṃ vināṃdhavadviprāścakṣuṣmaṃto hi te matāḥ
Antara tiga perkara itu, vidyā (ilmu) ialah kebajikan agung yang utama. Tanpa ilmu, bahkan brāhmaṇa pun dianggap seperti orang buta—walaupun pada nama dikatakan ‘bermata’.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)
Scene: A teacher-sage holds a manuscript like a lamp; beside him a brāhmaṇa with sacred thread but no manuscript is shown with veiled eyes, illustrating ‘blindness without learning’.
FAQs
Vidyā is essential for true spiritual and moral vision; without it, status alone is hollow.
None; the verse emphasizes the inner qualification of knowledge rather than a location.
Implicitly, cultivate and honor vidyā when assessing pātratā for dāna and in living brāhmaṇa-dharma.