A person’s spiritual position will be ascertained merely according to external symbols, and on that same basis people will change from one spiritual order to the next. A person’s propriety will be seriously questioned if he does not earn a good living. And one who is very clever at juggling words will be considered a learned scholar.
Srimad Bhagavata Purana
श्रीमद्भागवतमहापुराणम्
मूल श्लोकः
लिङ्गमेवाश्रमख्यातावन्योन्यापत्तिकारणम् । अवृत्त्या न्यायदौर्बल्यं पाण्डित्ये चापलं वचः
liṅgamevāśramakhyātāvanyonyāpattikāraṇam | avṛttyā nyāyadaurbalyaṃ pāṇḍitye cāpalaṃ vacaḥ
SB 12.2.4