Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 30
नाभाग उवाच । कोटिः प्रदीयतां मूल्यं निषादेभ्यो द्विजोत्तम । यद्येतदपि ते मूल्यं ततो भूयः प्रदीयते
nābhāga uvāca | koṭiḥ pradīyatāṃ mūlyaṃ niṣādebhyo dvijottama | yadyetadapi te mūlyaṃ tato bhūyaḥ pradīyate
Nabhāga berkata: “Wahai yang utama di antara para dwija, berikanlah satu koṭi sebagai pembayaran kepada para Niṣāda. Jika ini pun belum memadai bagimu, maka akan diberikan lebih.”
Nabhāga
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Āpastamba
Scene: King Nabhāga, earnest and determined, proposes a koṭi as payment to the Niṣādas; the sage listens with composed detachment, while attendants hold chests of coins and ministers watch.
FAQs
When guided by dharma, generosity escalates beyond self-interest; the king is willing to give more until the settlement becomes righteous.
Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the narrative links sacred place with righteous giving and ethical resolution.
A large-scale dāna/compensation (koṭi) to the Niṣādas is proposed.