Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64
नंदिन्युवाच । तपः कृते प्रशंसंति त्रेतायां ध्यानमेव च । द्वापरे यज्ञयोगं च दानमेकं कलौ युगे । सर्वेषामेव दानानां नास्ति दानमतः परम्
naṃdinyuvāca | tapaḥ kṛte praśaṃsaṃti tretāyāṃ dhyānameva ca | dvāpare yajñayogaṃ ca dānamekaṃ kalau yuge | sarveṣāmeva dānānāṃ nāsti dānamataḥ param
نندنی نے کہا: کِرت یُگ میں تپسیا کی ستائش ہوتی ہے؛ تریتا میں صرف دھیان کی؛ دواپر میں یَجْن کے یوگ کی۔ مگر کلی یُگ میں دان ہی ایک اعلیٰ ترین راستہ ہے، کیونکہ تمام عطیوں میں اس سے بڑھ کر کوئی دان نہیں۔
Nandinī
Listener: Vyāghra (tiger) and/or the inquiring seeker in the dialogue frame
Scene: Nandinī, composed and authoritative, enumerates the four yugas’ principal disciplines, culminating in Kali’s dāna; symbolic vignettes of tapas, meditation, yajña-fire, and giving appear around her.
FAQs
Dharma adapts by age; in Kali-yuga, dāna (charitable giving) is emphasized as the highest practical spiritual discipline.
The verse is part of a larger Tīrthamāhātmya narrative; the local sanctity culminates in worship of a renowned Liṅga mentioned shortly after.
It prescribes dāna (charity) as the foremost practice in Kali-yuga.