Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40
भीम उवाच । सर्वोपायैर्बोधयंति चाटा हस्तगतं नरम् । इदमेवौषधं तत्र तैः सार्धं जल्पनं न हि
bhīma uvāca | sarvopāyairbodhayaṃti cāṭā hastagataṃ naram | idamevauṣadhaṃ tatra taiḥ sārdhaṃ jalpanaṃ na hi
Bhīma berkata: Para pengampu berusaha dengan segala cara untuk ‘menasihati’ seorang yang sudah berada dalam genggaman mereka. Dalam keadaan demikian, inilah satu-satunya penawar—jangan berbicara dengan mereka.
Bhīma
Scene: Bhīma speaks bluntly: sycophants ‘advise’ a man already in their grasp; the true remedy is silence and refusal to engage. Bhīma stands firm, arms set, while a cluster of flatterers hover with ingratiating gestures.
FAQs
Discernment in company and speech is dharma; avoid harmful conversations that deepen delusion.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse offers practical moral counsel (nīti).
No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is behavioral—do not argue or converse with flatterers.