Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 191
इन्द्रादयोऽपि ये देवा यज्ञैराप्याययंति ते । न यजंति द्विजा यज्ञान्भिक्षादानेन तुष्यसि
indrādayo'pi ye devā yajñairāpyāyayaṃti te | na yajaṃti dvijā yajñānbhikṣādānena tuṣyasi
ഇന്ദ്രാദി ദേവന്മാർ യജ്ഞങ്ങളാൽ പോഷിതരാകുന്നു; എന്നാൽ നിങ്ങൾ ദ്വിജന്മാർ ചെയ്യുന്ന യജ്ഞങ്ങൾ ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നില്ല—ഭിക്ഷാദാനത്തിൽ നിങ്ങൾ സന്തുഷ്ടനാകുന്നു।
Viṣṇu (continuing the address to Maheśvara)
Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Maheśvara (Śiva)
Scene: A contrast tableau: Vedic altar with priests and offerings in the background; in the foreground, a pilgrim offers food/alms to a mendicant and the poor near a temple gate, while Śiva’s presence is subtly indicated as approving.
FAQs
Śiva is portrayed as readily pleased by compassion and charity; inner dharma expressed as dāna can surpass formal ritual in devotional value.
Vastrāpathakṣetra in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative frame.
Bhikṣā-dāna—giving alms/charity—as a Śaiva-pleasing practice; yajña is mentioned by contrast.