Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17
भवेयुर्यद्यसंख्याता अर्घयोग्याः समर्चने । ततस्तेषां वरिष्ठाय दातव्योऽर्घः किलैकतः
bhaveyuryadyasaṃkhyātā arghayogyāḥ samarcane | tatasteṣāṃ variṣṭhāya dātavyo'rghaḥ kilaikataḥ
Si, dans un acte de culte, il y a d’innombrables êtres dignes de recevoir l’argha, alors, en vérité, un seul argha doit être offert au plus éminent d’entre eux.
Narrative voice (contextually Nārada citing a dharma maxim)
Scene: शास्त्रीय-न्याय-रूपेण श्लोकः—कल्पित दृश्ये बहवः ऋषयः/देवताः अर्घ्य-योग्याः, मध्ये ‘वरिष्ठ’ तेजस्वी, तस्मै एकः अर्घ्य-पात्रः समर्प्यते।
FAQs
Dharma includes discernment: when many are venerable, one should honor the foremost with focused offering.
No single tīrtha is named here; it establishes the principle that one foremost tīrtha can be selected for a primary offering.
Offer one argha to the variṣṭha (best) among many argha-worthy recipients.