Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 62
अभिलाषेषु सर्वेषु जागर्त्येको हृदीह मे । अद्यापि मार्गणः कोपि द्रष्टव्यः स्वतनोरपि
abhilāṣeṣu sarveṣu jāgartyeko hṛdīha me | adyāpi mārgaṇaḥ kopi draṣṭavyaḥ svatanorapi
Di antara segala keinginanku, hanya satu yang tetap berjaga di dalam hati: bahkan hari ini pun aku mesti mencari seseorang—yang layak bahkan bagi tubuhku sendiri—untuk aku kurniakan dana kepadanya.
A dharmaśīla king (addressing a Brāhmaṇa)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A king in contemplation, hand on heart, scanning for a worthy ascetic or Brāhmaṇa guest; the streets/ghāṭas of Kāśī show pilgrims and mendicants, suggesting the search for the right ‘pātra’.
FAQs
The noblest longing is the longing to give—seeking opportunities for dāna as a daily spiritual vigilance.
The statement belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī framework, where charity and hospitality are praised as tīrtha-like acts.
No fixed rite; the ‘prescription’ is the attitude of continual dāna and searching for a worthy recipient.