Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10
नात्मनः क्रतुभिः स्विष्टैर्नास्ति तीर्थैः प्रयोजनम् । यत्र वा तत्र वा कार्य्यं यतीनां प्रीणनं सदा
nātmanaḥ kratubhiḥ sviṣṭairnāsti tīrthaiḥ prayojanam | yatra vā tatra vā kāryyaṃ yatīnāṃ prīṇanaṃ sadā
Para uno mismo, no hay verdadera necesidad de sacrificios bien ejecutados ni siquiera de peregrinaciones a los tīrthas; más bien, dondequiera que se esté, debe uno esforzarse siempre por alegrar y satisfacer a los yatīs.
Pitṛs (didactic continuation within the same pitṛ-centered passage)
Scene: A traveler pauses on a road and offers sustenance to an ascetic, while in the background distant sacrificial fires and pilgrimage crowds fade—signaling the verse’s hierarchy of values.
FAQs
Consistent service and honoring of holy renunciants is elevated as a direct and universally accessible dharma, surpassing formal rites when done with sincerity.
The broader Dvārakā Māhātmya context frames the teaching, though the verse stresses that this duty applies ‘wherever’ one is.
Prīṇana (pleasing/satisfying) of yatīs—through service, gifts, and respect—as a continual practice.