Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26
न रजक्या न हैतुक्या तथा श्रमणया न च । न च दुर्भगया क्वापि सखित्वं कुरुते सती
na rajakyā na haitukyā tathā śramaṇayā na ca | na ca durbhagayā kvāpi sakhitvaṃ kurute satī
Добродетельная женщина не заводит близкой дружбы ни с прачкой, ни с корыстной женщиной, ни с женщиной-аскеткой (шрамани), и нигде — с подругой дурной судьбы или порочного нрава.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A Kāśī lane near ghats: a dignified woman turns away from a group engaged in gossip and transactional talk, choosing instead to walk toward a temple with a modest companion—visualizing discernment in association.
FAQs
It emphasizes guarding one’s character by carefully choosing companions, a key pillar of dharmic household life.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting; the verse itself is ethical instruction rather than a tīrtha-description.
No ritual is prescribed; it provides social-ethical discipline (saṅga-niyama) as part of vrata-like conduct.