Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9
स्नात्वा गंगामृते शुद्धे तप एतदिहोत्तमम् । सत्कृत्य भिक्षवे भिक्षा यत्काश्यां परिदीयते । तुला पुरुष एतस्याः कलां नार्हति षोडशीम्
snātvā gaṃgāmṛte śuddhe tapa etadihottamam | satkṛtya bhikṣave bhikṣā yatkāśyāṃ paridīyate | tulā puruṣa etasyāḥ kalāṃ nārhati ṣoḍaśīm
ശുദ്ധ അമൃതമയമായ ഗംഗയിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത്, ഇവിടെ ഏറ്റവും ഉത്തമമായ തപസ്സു ഇതുതന്നെ—ഭിക്ഷുവിനെ ആദരിച്ചു കാശിയിൽ ഭിക്ഷാദാനം ചെയ്യുക. ‘തുലാപുരുഷ’ പുണ്യവും ഇതിന്റെ പതിനാറിലൊരുഭാഗത്തിനും തുല്യമല്ല।
Skanda
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)
Type: ghat
Listener: null
Scene: At dawn on a Kāśī ghāṭ: pilgrims bathe in the shimmering Gaṅgā described as amṛta; afterward a householder offers a bowl of food and cloth to a saffron-clad mendicant with reverent gesture; a symbolic balance scale in the background hints at Tulā-puruṣa being surpassed.
FAQs
In Kāśī, purification through Gaṅgā-bathing and compassionate giving to ascetics is exalted above even grand ceremonial charities.
The Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and the city’s culture of sacred almsgiving are glorified.
Gaṅgā-snāna (bathing in the Gaṅgā) and respectfully giving bhikṣā (alms/food) to a bhikṣu; it is said to surpass Tulā-puruṣa charity.