Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9
स्नात्वा गंगामृते शुद्धे तप एतदिहोत्तमम् । सत्कृत्य भिक्षवे भिक्षा यत्काश्यां परिदीयते । तुला पुरुष एतस्याः कलां नार्हति षोडशीम्
snātvā gaṃgāmṛte śuddhe tapa etadihottamam | satkṛtya bhikṣave bhikṣā yatkāśyāṃ paridīyate | tulā puruṣa etasyāḥ kalāṃ nārhati ṣoḍaśīm
เมื่ออาบในคงคาอันบริสุทธิ์ดุจอมฤตแล้ว ตบะสูงสุด ณ ที่นี้คือ: นอบน้อมบรรพชิตผู้ขอภิกษา และถวายทานในกาศี แม้พิธีเลื่องชื่อ ‘ตุลา-ปุรุษะ’ ก็ยังไม่เทียบได้แม้เพียงหนึ่งในสิบหกแห่งบุญนี้
Skanda
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)
Type: ghat
Listener: null
Scene: At dawn on a Kāśī ghāṭ: pilgrims bathe in the shimmering Gaṅgā described as amṛta; afterward a householder offers a bowl of food and cloth to a saffron-clad mendicant with reverent gesture; a symbolic balance scale in the background hints at Tulā-puruṣa being surpassed.
FAQs
In Kāśī, purification through Gaṅgā-bathing and compassionate giving to ascetics is exalted above even grand ceremonial charities.
The Gaṅgā in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and the city’s culture of sacred almsgiving are glorified.
Gaṅgā-snāna (bathing in the Gaṅgā) and respectfully giving bhikṣā (alms/food) to a bhikṣu; it is said to surpass Tulā-puruṣa charity.