Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
तथापि नैव गृह्णीयात्तपोरक्षा यतः सदा । वेदपाठो विष्णुपूजा ब्रह्मध्यानमलोभता
tathāpi naiva gṛhṇīyāttaporakṣā yataḥ sadā | vedapāṭho viṣṇupūjā brahmadhyānamalobhatā
Ainda assim, ele não deve aceitar (muito), pois a proteção da austeridade deve ser sempre preservada—pela recitação védica, pela adoração a Viṣṇu, pela meditação em Brahman e pela ausência de cobiça.
Brahmā (deduced)
Scene: A disciplined ascetic-brāhmaṇa in a simple hut: chanting Veda, offering flowers to Viṣṇu, then seated in Brahman-meditation; a patron’s large gift is set aside to show alobha.
FAQs
Austerity is preserved by restraint and inner discipline—study, worship, meditation, and non-greed form a protective fence around spiritual power.
No location is specified in this verse; it provides universal dharma principles often taught alongside tīrtha-glorification.
Veda recitation, Viṣṇu worship, and Brahman-meditation are recommended as ongoing practices, along with limiting acceptance of gifts.