Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40
स्नानं दानं जपो होमः स्वाध्यायो देवतार्चनम् । पुण्यं देयं तु सर्वत्र नापुण्यं दीयते क्वचित्
snānaṃ dānaṃ japo homaḥ svādhyāyo devatārcanam | puṇyaṃ deyaṃ tu sarvatra nāpuṇyaṃ dīyate kvacit
സ്നാനം, ദാനം, ജപം, ഹോമം, സ്വാധ്യായം, ദേവതാരാധനം—ഇവ പുണ്യകർമ്മങ്ങളായി എല്ലായിടത്തും ചെയ്യേണ്ടതാണ്; അപുണ്യം എവിടെയും ഒരിക്കലും അർപ്പിക്കരുത്।
Skanda (as narrator of Prabhāsa-māhātmya)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A symbolic tableau of six practices: a pilgrim bathing, giving alms, chanting japa with mālā, offering homa into fire, studying a Vedic text, and performing deity-archana—framed as universally valid acts; a shadowy ‘apuṇya’ figure is excluded outside the scene.
FAQs
Dharma is universal: cultivate meritorious disciplines everywhere and avoid sinful actions without exception.
Though stated universally, it appears within the Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya as guidance for pilgrims.
Core practices: snāna, dāna, japa, homa, svādhyāya, and devatā-arcana; and a prohibition against apuṇya.