Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68
स जीवति पुमान्योऽत्र बहुभिश्चोपजीव्यते । जीवन्मृतोथ विज्ञेयः पुरुषः स्वोदरंभरिः
sa jīvati pumānyo'tra bahubhiścopajīvyate | jīvanmṛtotha vijñeyaḥ puruṣaḥ svodaraṃbhariḥ
In dieser Welt lebt wahrhaft der Mann, der vielen zur Stütze wird; wer aber nur lebt, um seinen eigenen Bauch zu füllen, gilt als tot, obwohl er lebt.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A householder in Kāśī stands at his doorway near a lane leading to the Gaṅgā ghāṭs, distributing food and water to pilgrims, widows, and students; behind him, a storeroom of grain is open, symbolizing ‘support for many’. In contrast, a solitary figure clutches a pot of food, visually ‘alive yet dead’.
FAQs
A meaningful life is measured by how much one supports others; selfish living is spiritually lifeless.
The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse teaches general dharma rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
No specific rite is prescribed; it gives an ethical standard supporting dāna and social responsibility.