Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 190
सूर्यग्रहे कुरुक्षेत्रे नर्मदायां शशिग्रहे । तुलादानस्य यत्पुण्यं तदत्र दीपदानतः
sūryagrahe kurukṣetre narmadāyāṃ śaśigrahe | tulādānasya yatpuṇyaṃ tadatra dīpadānataḥ
Le mérite acquis en accomplissant le grand «tulā-dāna» à Kurukṣetra lors d’une éclipse solaire, ou sur la Narmadā lors d’une éclipse lunaire—ici, ce même mérite naît de la simple offrande d’une lampe.
Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative style—Brahmā to Nārada)
Tirtha: Ayodhyā (contextual ‘atra’)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Night falls over the ghāṭa; rows of small lamps float on the river, forming a luminous path; priests chant while pilgrims place lamps with careful hands; distant temple spires silhouette against the glow.
FAQs
Even a small act of dharma—offering a lamp with devotion—can equal the merit of renowned, difficult pilgrim-rites.
The verse compares famous merit-sites (Kurukṣetra, Narmadā) to the ‘here’ of Ayodhyāmāhātmya’s praised sacred setting, where dīpadāna is especially potent.
Dīpadāna (donation/lighting of a lamp), presented as equal in fruit to tulā-dāna performed at eclipse-times in major tīrthas.