Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 89
स्वार्गाय बद्धकक्षो यः पाठमात्रेण ब्राह्मणः । स बालो मातुरंकस्थो ग्रहीतुं सोममिच्छति
svārgāya baddhakakṣo yaḥ pāṭhamātreṇa brāhmaṇaḥ | sa bālo māturaṃkastho grahītuṃ somamicchati
Vị Bà-la-môn chỉ nhờ tụng đọc suông mà thắt mình hướng về cõi trời, chẳng khác đứa trẻ ngồi trong lòng mẹ mà muốn chộp lấy Soma.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from context)
Scene: A brāhmaṇa with a recitation scroll ties his girdle as if ready for heaven; beside him a small child on a mother’s lap stretches tiny hands toward a radiant Soma vessel guarded by ritual fire and devas.
FAQs
Heavenly attainment demands maturity and practice; mere recitation is an immature ambition, like a child reaching for Soma.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse uses Vedic imagery (Soma) to critique superficial religiosity.
None directly; it implies that higher results require more than reading—namely discipline, purity, and right conduct.