Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17
भवेयुर्यद्यसंख्याता अर्घयोग्याः समर्चने । ततस्तेषां वरिष्ठाय दातव्योऽर्घः किलैकतः
bhaveyuryadyasaṃkhyātā arghayogyāḥ samarcane | tatasteṣāṃ variṣṭhāya dātavyo'rghaḥ kilaikataḥ
Se, num ato de culto, houver inumeráveis dignos de receber argha, então, de fato, um único argha deve ser oferecido ao mais excelente dentre eles.
Narrative voice (contextually Nārada citing a dharma maxim)
Scene: शास्त्रीय-न्याय-रूपेण श्लोकः—कल्पित दृश्ये बहवः ऋषयः/देवताः अर्घ्य-योग्याः, मध्ये ‘वरिष्ठ’ तेजस्वी, तस्मै एकः अर्घ्य-पात्रः समर्प्यते।
FAQs
Dharma includes discernment: when many are venerable, one should honor the foremost with focused offering.
No single tīrtha is named here; it establishes the principle that one foremost tīrtha can be selected for a primary offering.
Offer one argha to the variṣṭha (best) among many argha-worthy recipients.