Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40
गायत्रीसारमात्रोऽपि वरं विप्रः सुयन्त्रितः । नायंत्रितश्चतुर्वेदी सर्वाशी सर्वविक्रयी
gāyatrīsāramātro'pi varaṃ vipraḥ suyantritaḥ | nāyaṃtritaścaturvedī sarvāśī sarvavikrayī
ଗାୟତ୍ରୀର ସାରମାତ୍ର ଜାଣିଥିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସଂଯମୀ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଅସଂଯମୀ ଚତୁର୍ବେଦୀ, ଯେ ସବୁ ଖାଏ ଓ ସବୁ ବିକେ, ସେ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ନୁହେଁ।
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: Two brāhmaṇas contrasted before Somnātha: one simple, restrained, holding a small Gāyatrī palm-leaf; the other richly adorned with four Veda bundles, surrounded by market goods, eating indiscriminately. A luminous aura surrounds the restrained one.
FAQs
Restraint and character outweigh mere scriptural accumulation; dharma values inner discipline over display of learning.
Prabhāsakṣetra, where the Māhātmya frames right conduct as the true ornament of sacred learning.
It prescribes self-restraint and condemns indiscriminate eating and mercenary selling, even in the learned.