Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6
ऋषय ऊचुः । कानि दानानि शस्यानि तदर्थं वद नो द्रुतम् । जपश्चैव पुरा प्रोक्तस्त्वया कार्यो यथैव च
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kāni dānāni śasyāni tadarthaṃ vada no drutam | japaścaiva purā proktastvayā kāryo yathaiva ca
Les sages dirent : « Dis-nous promptement quels dāna (dons sacrés) sont les plus dignes d’éloge pour ce but. Et, comme tu l’as enseigné jadis, quel japa doit être accompli, et de quelle manière. »
Ṛṣis (Sages)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sūta
Scene: The sages, hands folded, lean forward and question the narrator about the best gifts and the correct japa method; ritual implements (kuśa, water-pot, rosary) lie nearby, indicating readiness to act.
FAQs
True pilgrimage and devotion are completed by dharma in action—charity (dāna) and disciplined remembrance (japa).
The verse is within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya stream; the immediate focus is on practices rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
It asks for prescriptions: which dānas are best and what japa should be performed, preparing for the detailed instructions that follow.