Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 93
एकतः सर्वदानानि दीपदानं तथैकतः । कार्तिके दीपदानस्य कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्
ekataḥ sarvadānāni dīpadānaṃ tathaikataḥ | kārtike dīpadānasya kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm
ایک طرف سب طرح کے دان ہیں، اور دوسری طرف دیپ دان۔ ماہِ کارتِک میں دیپ دان کے پُنّیہ کی سولہویں حصّہ کے برابر بھی دوسرے دان نہیں پہنچتے۔
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī (Ghāṭa-dīpa-dāna)
Type: ghat
Scene: Kāśī ghats at night in Kārttika: thousands of floating lamps on the Ganga, devotees offering rows of diyas, temple spires glowing; the scene conveys overwhelming radiance and collective devotion.
FAQs
Light offered in sacred time symbolizes inner awakening; hence dīpa-dāna in Kārttika is praised as supremely transformative.
While the verse is set in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, it extols Kārttika lamp-offering as a general mahātmya practice (commonly performed in Kāśī’s temples and ghāṭas).
Perform dīpa-dāna (offering/donating lamps), especially in the month of Kārttika, as the foremost charity.