Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21
कपिलां दत्त्वा यदाप्नोति तत्फलं कलशे पृथक् । मृत्ताम्ररौप्यसौवर्णैः क्रमाच्छतगुणं फलम्
kapilāṃ dattvā yadāpnoti tatphalaṃ kalaśe pṛthak | mṛttāmraraupyasauvarṇaiḥ kramācchataguṇaṃ phalam
Le fruit que l’on obtient en donnant une vache fauve, ce même fruit s’obtient aussi, séparément, en offrant un kalaśa (vase d’eau). Et avec des vases d’argile, de cuivre, d’argent et d’or, respectivement, le résultat devient centuple selon l’ordre croissant.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A donor presents a kalaśa to a priest/temple, with four pots displayed—clay, copper, silver, gold—while a tawny cow stands nearby as the benchmark gift; the deity’s shrine in the background signifies dedication.
FAQs
Purāṇic charity values intention and sacred utility; even a kalaśa-dāna can rival major gifts, and superior materials amplify merit.
No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on dāna (charitable gifting) as a dharmic act.
Offering a kalaśa (water-pot), with increasing merit when made of clay, copper, silver, and gold.