Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 31
दानेन भोगानाप्नोति इत्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत् । पर्वतात्पश्चिमे देशे स्वयं देवो महेश्वरः । स्थितः प्रणवरूपोऽसौ जगदादिः सनातनः
dānena bhogānāpnoti ityevaṃ śaṅkaro'bravīt | parvatātpaścime deśe svayaṃ devo maheśvaraḥ | sthitaḥ praṇavarūpo'sau jagadādiḥ sanātanaḥ
‘தானம் செய்தால் போகங்கள் கிடைக்கும்’ என்று சங்கரர் உரைத்தார். மேலும் மலையின் மேற்குத் திசையில், உலகின் ஆதியும் சனாதனனுமான மகேஸ்வரன் தாமே பிரணவம் (ஓம்) வடிவில் நிலைத்திருக்கிறார்.
Śaṅkara (Śiva) is quoted; overall narration by Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Praṇava-sthāna of Maheśvara (west of the mountain)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pāṇḍava (king)
Scene: A mountain silhouette; to its west a radiant Oṃ-shaped aura above a liṅga or self-manifest light; Śaṅkara’s declaration on dāna echoed by a sage addressing a king; pilgrims offering gifts.
FAQs
Dharma is both ethical and metaphysical: charity yields worldly fruition, while the Lord as Oṃ reveals the eternal ground of pilgrimage and devotion.
A western region of the sacred mountain where Maheśvara is said to be established in the form of Praṇava (Oṃ).
Dāna (charitable giving) is explicitly praised as a means to obtain bhoga (worldly enjoyments/prosperity).