Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 58
यत्पुण्यं परमं प्रोक्तं सततं यज्ञयाजिनाम् । सत्यवादिषु यत्पुण्यं यत्पुण्यं हेमदायिनि । तत्पुण्यं लभते विप्र सहस्राब्दस्य जीविभिः
yatpuṇyaṃ paramaṃ proktaṃ satataṃ yajñayājinām | satyavādiṣu yatpuṇyaṃ yatpuṇyaṃ hemadāyini | tatpuṇyaṃ labhate vipra sahasrābdasya jīvibhiḥ
Kebajikan tertinggi yang senantiasa disebut milik para pelaksana yajña; kebajikan para penutur kebenaran; dan kebajikan orang yang bersedekah emas—kebajikan itulah, wahai brāhmaṇa, diperoleh oleh mereka yang menjalani ukuran ‘sahasrābda’ (ikrar seribu tahun).
Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa discourse style)
Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra (Sarayū-tīrtha context implied)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Brāhmaṇa (addressed as ‘vipra’)
Scene: A brāhmaṇa listener receives the proclamation that the long vow’s merit equals that of sacrifices, truth-speaking, and gifting gold; Ayodhyā’s sacred ambience frames the teaching.
FAQs
Sustained vow-practice is praised as equivalent to the highest merits of sacrifice, truthfulness, and great charity.
The merit teaching belongs to Ayodhyā Māhātmya, where Ayodhyā serves as the sacred context for such elevated puṇya.
It extols the long-duration observance tied to the ‘thousand moons/thousand-year measure’ as a source of supreme merit.