Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58
प्रतिग्रहे समर्था हि ये प्रतिग्रहवर्जिताः । त एते मत्प्रिया विप्रास्त्यक्ततीर्थ प्रतिग्रहाः
pratigrahe samarthā hi ye pratigrahavarjitāḥ | ta ete matpriyā viprāstyaktatīrtha pratigrahāḥ
தானம் பெறத் தகுதியிருந்தும் தானம் பெறுதலை விலக்கி—குறிப்பாக தீர்த்த வாழ்வாதாரத்திற்கான பெறுதலைத் துறந்த அந்தப் பிராமணர்கள் எனக்கு அன்பானவர்கள்.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame; not explicit in verse)
Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa at a ghat politely declining offered coins while blessing the donor; nearby, pilgrims perform simple worship without ostentation; the scene emphasizes dignity, restraint, and non-transactional sanctity.
FAQs
Integrity and non-exploitation of sacred places—refusing gifts despite eligibility—is praised as beloved to the divine.
No single tīrtha is named; the verse addresses ethical conduct related to tīrthas in general.
A moral prescription: avoid pratigraha (gift-acceptance), especially as a livelihood connected to pilgrimage.