Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 90
नाहं तथाद्भि यजमानहविर्वितानश्चयोतद्घृतप्लुतमदन्हुतभुङ्मुखेन । यद्ब्राह्मणस्य मुखतश्चरतोनुघासं तुष्टस्य मय्यवहितैर्निजकर्मपाकैः
nāhaṃ tathādbhi yajamānahavirvitānaścayotadghṛtaplutamadanhutabhuṅmukhena | yadbrāhmaṇasya mukhataścaratonughāsaṃ tuṣṭasya mayyavahitairnijakarmapākaiḥ
Ich bin nicht in gleicher Weise erfreut über die kunstvollen Opfergaben des Opfernden—über die Oblationen und das in das Feuer gegossene Ghee, das der „Mund des Ritus“ verzehrt—wie ich mich selbst über einen bloßen Bissen freue, der aus dem Mund eines zufriedenen Brāhmaṇa kommt und mit wacher Hingabe dargebracht wird, als gereifte Frucht der eigenen Taten.
Viṣṇu (quoted authority)
Listener: The Kumāras
Scene: Two scenes contrasted: (1) a grand yajña with blazing fire, priests, ladles of ghee; (2) a humble devotee offering a small morsel to a serene brāhmaṇa seated calmly. Viṣṇu’s subtle presence/approval radiates more strongly over the second scene.
FAQs
Personal charity and reverent service to a worthy, contented brāhmaṇa can please the Divine more than costly ritual display.
No specific tīrtha is named; the ‘holy field’ emphasized is the brāhmaṇa as a recipient of dāna and honor.
It implicitly praises brāhmaṇa-bhojana/dāna (offering food/charity to brāhmaṇas) over mere ritual oblations.