Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 91
अस्तेयः पूजयेन्मान्यान्गुरुं सेवेदमायया । अर्च्यो देवो न दम्भेन श्रियमिच्छेदकुत्सिताम्
asteyaḥ pūjayenmānyānguruṃ sevedamāyayā | arcyo devo na dambhena śriyamicchedakutsitām
พึงเป็นผู้ไม่ลักขโมย; พึงบูชาผู้ควรบูชา และรับใช้ครูบาอาจารย์โดยไร้เล่ห์กล. พึงสักการะเทพด้วยใจไม่เสแสร้ง และปรารถนาศรีอันประเสริฐ มิใช่ความมั่งคั่งอันต่ำทราม.
Unspecified (didactic instruction within the narrative of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)
Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A pilgrim-king offers flowers and water at a shrine with simple devotion; a guru sits nearby receiving humble service; a shadowy figure of hypocrisy (dambha) is shown outside the sanctum, barred from entry; coins are offered as clean dāna, not stolen wealth.
FAQs
True merit comes from integrity—honesty, sincere service to the guru, and worship without show.
The verse belongs to the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya within Prabhāsa, where inner purity is aligned with the sanctity of pilgrimage traditions.
Worship (arcana) is implied—performed sincerely, without hypocrisy.