Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20
समर्थोऽसि तथान्येषां दानानां त्वं महीपते । एतन्नः कौतुकं सर्वं यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि
samartho'si tathānyeṣāṃ dānānāṃ tvaṃ mahīpate | etannaḥ kautukaṃ sarvaṃ yathāvadvaktumarhasi
„O Herr der Erde, du bist auch fähig, andere Arten von Gaben zu spenden. Darum erkläre uns in rechter Weise diese ganze Angelegenheit, die unsere Neugier erweckt.“
Ṛṣayaḥ (Sages)
Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Veṇu
Scene: Sages respectfully acknowledge the king’s wealth and ability to give, yet point to his simple practice; the scene juxtaposes royal insignia and potential gifts with the austere act of walking in circles around the liṅga.
FAQs
Dharma includes many meritorious acts (like dāna), but the text invites discernment about the inner cause behind a devotee’s chosen practice.
The Arbuda-region shrine context continues; the emphasis is on worship at the deity’s sacred presence rather than a named tirtha in this verse.
Dāna (charitable giving) is referenced as an available religious act, contrasted with the king’s focus on pradakṣiṇā.