Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67
स्नानदानादिनिरताः सर्वदाश्च जितेंद्रियाः । वापीकूपतडागानां कर्तारश्च सहस्रशः । व्रतशीला गुणज्ञाश्च मूर्खा वेदविवर्जिताः
snānadānādiniratāḥ sarvadāśca jiteṃdriyāḥ | vāpīkūpataḍāgānāṃ kartāraśca sahasraśaḥ | vrataśīlā guṇajñāśca mūrkhā vedavivarjitāḥ
Mereka tekun pada mandi suci, sedekah dan amalan seumpamanya, serta sentiasa menundukkan indera. Beribu-ribu mereka membina vāpī (telaga bertangga), perigi dan kolam. Mereka berpegang pada vrata dan mengenal kebajikan—namun sebahagian menjadi dungu kerana tiada ilmu Weda.
Unspecified (Dharmāraṇya narrative voice)
Scene: A dharmic settlement at the edge of a sacred forest: ascetics and householders performing river-bathing, distributing alms, and supervising the digging of a stepwell and pond; a learned brāhmaṇa recites Veda while some pious yet unlearned donors stand respectfully, highlighting the contrast between merit and learning.
FAQs
Public welfare (waterworks), charity, and vows are praised, but enduring dharma is strengthened by Vedic knowledge and right discernment.
The verse supports tīrtha-culture broadly through water-conservation works (wells/ponds), but does not name a particular site.
It commends snāna (bathing), dāna (charity), vrata (vows), and the dharmic act of creating water sources (vāpī, kūpa, taḍāga).