Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90
समर्घं धान्यमुद्धत्य महर्घं यः प्रयच्छति । स हि वार्धुषिको नाम तस्यान्नं नैव भक्षयेत्
samarghaṃ dhānyamuddhatya maharghaṃ yaḥ prayacchati | sa hi vārdhuṣiko nāma tasyānnaṃ naiva bhakṣayet
جو شخص اناج کو مناسب قیمت پر جمع کر کے پھر حد سے زیادہ مہنگے داموں بیچے، وہ ‘واردھوشک’ کہلاتا ہے؛ اس کا کھانا نہیں کھانا چاہیے۔
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A granary scene: a merchant hoards sacks of grain, then weighs out at inflated price; a sage/pilgrim turns away refusing the offered meal; Kāśī market street with temple spires behind.
FAQs
Food carries moral consequence; avoiding the food of exploiters protects one’s purity and dharma.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting, but the verse focuses on ethical economy and food-acceptance rules.
A rule of acceptance: do not partake of food from a vārdhuṣika (unethical profiteer/hoarder).