Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 68
स जीवति पुमान्योऽत्र बहुभिश्चोपजीव्यते । जीवन्मृतोथ विज्ञेयः पुरुषः स्वोदरंभरिः
sa jīvati pumānyo'tra bahubhiścopajīvyate | jīvanmṛtotha vijñeyaḥ puruṣaḥ svodaraṃbhariḥ
اس دنیا میں وہی مرد حقیقتاً زندہ ہے جو بہتوں کا سہارا بنے۔ مگر جو صرف اپنا پیٹ بھرنے کے لیے جئے، وہ جیتے جی مردہ سمجھا جائے۔
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A householder in Kāśī stands at his doorway near a lane leading to the Gaṅgā ghāṭs, distributing food and water to pilgrims, widows, and students; behind him, a storeroom of grain is open, symbolizing ‘support for many’. In contrast, a solitary figure clutches a pot of food, visually ‘alive yet dead’.
FAQs
A meaningful life is measured by how much one supports others; selfish living is spiritually lifeless.
The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse teaches general dharma rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
No specific rite is prescribed; it gives an ethical standard supporting dāna and social responsibility.