Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6
अयाचितोपचारैश्च जपहोमैः सुदुष्करैः । मन्त्रैर्व्रतैस्तथा दानैः स्वर्गप्राप्तिं वदस्व नः
ayācitopacāraiśca japahomaiḥ suduṣkaraiḥ | mantrairvrataistathā dānaiḥ svargaprāptiṃ vadasva naḥ
Terangkanlah kepada kami tentang mencapai syurga melalui persembahan yang tidak diminta, melalui japa dan homa yang amat sukar, serta melalui mantra, vrata, dan dāna (sedekah suci).
Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)
Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Brahmā (Devēśa)
Scene: Sages enumerate disciplines—japa, homa, mantra, vrata, dāna—gesturing to ritual implements: rosary, ladle, fire-pit, waterpot, and gift bundles, while Brahmā listens as the arbiter of dharma-fruit.
FAQs
The sages inquire about the efficacy of major merit-producing practices and their promised fruits, especially svarga.
The immediate focus is on practices; the site-centered solution (Brahmā’s mahāpada) is introduced in the following verses.
Ayācitopacāra (unsolicited offerings), japa, homa, mantra, vrata, and dāna are explicitly listed.