Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64
नंदिन्युवाच । तपः कृते प्रशंसंति त्रेतायां ध्यानमेव च । द्वापरे यज्ञयोगं च दानमेकं कलौ युगे । सर्वेषामेव दानानां नास्ति दानमतः परम्
naṃdinyuvāca | tapaḥ kṛte praśaṃsaṃti tretāyāṃ dhyānameva ca | dvāpare yajñayogaṃ ca dānamekaṃ kalau yuge | sarveṣāmeva dānānāṃ nāsti dānamataḥ param
नंदिनी म्हणाली—कृतयुगात तपाची प्रशंसा करतात, त्रेतायुगात ध्यानाचीच; द्वापरात यज्ञ-योगाचा विधी. पण कलियुगात दान हाच एक परम मार्ग आहे; कारण सर्व दानांमध्ये याहून श्रेष्ठ दान नाही.
Nandinī
Listener: Vyāghra (tiger) and/or the inquiring seeker in the dialogue frame
Scene: Nandinī, composed and authoritative, enumerates the four yugas’ principal disciplines, culminating in Kali’s dāna; symbolic vignettes of tapas, meditation, yajña-fire, and giving appear around her.
FAQs
Dharma adapts by age; in Kali-yuga, dāna (charitable giving) is emphasized as the highest practical spiritual discipline.
The verse is part of a larger Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the local sanctity culminates in worship of a renowned Liṅga mentioned shortly after.
It prescribes dāna (charity) as the foremost practice in Kali-yuga.