Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 12
ध्यानं वाथ क्रतुं वाथ होमं वा जपमुत्तमम् । दानं वा नियमं वाथ स्नानं वा तप उत्तमम्
dhyānaṃ vātha kratuṃ vātha homaṃ vā japamuttamam | dānaṃ vā niyamaṃ vātha snānaṃ vā tapa uttamam
«Ou bien faut-il pratiquer la méditation, accomplir un sacrifice (kratu), offrir le homa, ou entreprendre le japa excellent ? Ou bien est-ce l’aumône, les observances, le bain rituel, ou l’austérité la plus haute (tapas) ?»
Rāma
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Scene: Rāma expands his inquiry: meditation, sacrifice, homa, japa—what is best in Dharmāraṇya? The scene remains a respectful dialogue with ritual imagery suggested (fire altar, rosary, water vessel).
FAQs
A holy kṣetra supports multiple paths—inner (dhyāna, japa) and outer (homa, kratu, dāna)—and wisdom lies in discerning the right practice.
Dharmāraṇya remains the implied mahākṣetra where these practices are being considered for maximum spiritual fruit.
Meditation (dhyāna), sacrifice (kratu), fire-offering (homa), mantra-recitation (japa), charity (dāna), vows (niyama), bathing (snāna), and austerity (tapas) are listed as candidate observances.