Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
विष्णुर्दीपेन संतुष्टो यथा भवति पुत्रक । तथा यज्ञसहस्रैश्च वरं नैव प्रयच्छति
viṣṇurdīpena saṃtuṣṭo yathā bhavati putraka | tathā yajñasahasraiśca varaṃ naiva prayacchati
Mon enfant, Viṣṇu se réjouit d’une offrande de lampe d’une manière telle que même des milliers de sacrifices ne sauraient l’amener à accorder une grâce aussi aisément.
Brahmā
Tirtha: Viṣṇu-dīpa-dāna (rite-centered)
Type: temple
Listener: Nārada
Scene: Brahmā affectionately addresses Nārada as ‘child,’ pointing to a single bright lamp before Viṣṇu; in the background, grand sacrificial altars fade, showing that the lamp’s devotion surpasses ritual grandeur.
FAQs
Sincere, accessible devotion can outweigh grand ritualism; God’s grace is drawn by bhakti expressed through simple offerings.
A Viṣṇu temple context is implied, but this verse focuses on the comparative merit of dīpadāna versus yajña rather than a named site.
Perform dīpadāna (offering a lamp) to please Viṣṇu; it is praised as exceptionally effective compared to large-scale sacrifices.