Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 24
यज्ञ दान तपो योग जपाः सनियमा यमाः । गंगासेवासहस्रांशं न लभंते कलौ हरे
yajña dāna tapo yoga japāḥ saniyamā yamāḥ | gaṃgāsevāsahasrāṃśaṃ na labhaṃte kalau hare
Yajña, sedekah, tapa, yoga, japa, niyama dan yama—wahai Hari, dalam Kali-yuga semuanya tidak memperoleh walau seperibu pun daripada pahala yang lahir daripada khidmat kepada Gaṅgā.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā
Type: kshetra
Scene: A comparative tableau: on one side, elaborate yajña with priests and fires; on another, ascetics in tapas and yogic postures; centrally, a humble devotee serving Gaṅgā—cleaning steps, offering a lamp—radiating a vastly larger aura of merit in Kali-yuga.
FAQs
In Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā-sevā is exalted as extraordinarily fruitful, surpassing many classical disciplines in accessible merit.
Gaṅgā is glorified specifically through the practice of gaṅgā-sevā (service to the river and her sacred banks).
Gaṅgā-sevā is explicitly praised as the recommended practice; other disciplines are listed for comparison.