Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99
संति दानान्यनेकानि किं तैस्तुच्छ फलप्रदैः । अभीति दानसदृशं परमेकमपीह न
saṃti dānānyanekāni kiṃ taistuccha phalapradaiḥ | abhīti dānasadṛśaṃ paramekamapīha na
ദാനങ്ങൾ അനേകം ഉണ്ട്; എന്നാൽ തുച്ഛഫലം നൽകുന്നവ കൊണ്ട് എന്തു പ്രയോജനം? ഇവിടെ അഭയദാനത്തിനെ തുല്യമായ പരമദാനം ഒന്നുമില്ല.
Skanda (deduced; Kāśī-khaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis (frame)
Scene: A benefactor in Kāśī offers refuge: calming a frightened being (human/animal), stopping violence, and assuring safety; other gifts (coins, grain) appear secondary in the background.
FAQs
Among charities, the highest is protecting beings and removing fear—abhaya/abhīti-dāna.
The broader discourse belongs to Kāśī-khaṇḍa (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī), though this verse itself praises a universal dharma rather than a single tirtha.
It elevates a practice: giving fearlessness—offering protection, refuge, and non-harm—over merely material donations.