Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 18
दानहानिर्गजेष्वेव द्रुमेष्वेव हि कंटकाः । जनेष्वेव विहारा हि न कस्यचिदुरःस्थली
dānahānirgajeṣveva drumeṣveva hi kaṃṭakāḥ | janeṣveva vihārā hi na kasyaciduraḥsthalī
In jenem Land zeigt sich der Verlust des dāna, als wäre er nur bei den Elefanten zu sehen, und Dornen fänden sich nur an den Bäumen; Lustsuche gibt es nur unter den Menschen, und keines Menschen Brust ist Wohnstatt von Mut oder Mitgefühl — ein solches Land entbehrt des Duftes des Dharma.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A contrast scene: in the ‘degraded land,’ people lounge in indulgence while no one steps forward to help; elephants symbolically ‘lose dāna’ (a pun on rut/temple-gift imagery) and trees alone bear thorns. In Kāśī, devotees distribute food at a ghāṭa under Annapūrṇā’s blessing, with compassionate faces and upright posture.
FAQs
A dharmic land is recognized by generosity, courage, and compassionate hearts; indulgence without virtue marks decline.
Kāśī is praised implicitly as a place where dāna and dharma thrive, contrasted with lands lacking noble-hearted people.
Dāna is highlighted as a core dharmic marker (though not given as a step-by-step rite here), aligning with Kāśī pilgrimage practices of charity and offerings.