Skandapurana 7.12.p4

7.12.p4

sāvitrī vedamātā ca gāyatrī durgayā saha .
śrīḥ kīrtiścaiva lakṣmīśca dhṛtiḥ prajñā tathaiva ca ..4. .
khyātirditirdanuścaiva aditiḥ siṃhikā khaśā4 .
rākā kuhūḥ sinīvālī tathaivānumatiḥ5 śubhā .. ..5. .
gaṅgā sarasvatī caiva tathānyāḥ saritaḥ śubhāḥ .
ṛṣīṇāṃ caiva yāḥ patnyo devānāṃ yakṣarakṣasām .
uragāṇāṃ khagānāñca gandharvāṇāṃ tathaiva ca . . 6..
etāssarvāstathāgamya namaskṛtya ca pārvatīm .
papracchuḥ sarvadharmajñā dharmaṃ dharmārthasaṃśritāḥ . .7..
kena dharmeṇa deveśe tapasā vā śubhānane .
sumahat prāpya puṇyaṃ kiñcākṣayyaṃ prakīrtitam . .8 ..
devyuvāca
yuṣmākantu hitārthāya lokānāñcaiva suvratāḥ .
kathayiṣyāmyahaṃ dharmaṃ yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ . .9. .
annadānāt paraṃ dānaṃ naiva kiñciddhi8 vidyate .
annād bhavanti bhūtāni9 tasmāttadadhikaṃ smṛtam .. 8.111.10 ..
annaṃ yastu susaṃskṛtya prayaccheta dvijātaye .
sa sarvakāmānāpnoti10 pūjyate ca triviṣṭape .. 11 ..
mayūrahaṃsayuktena11 sarvakāmasamṛddhinā12 .
vimānenārkabhāsena13 annado yāti vai divam14 . . 12 ..
yadi mānuṣyamāyāti15 kadācit sa narottamaḥ .
dhanadhānyasamākīrṇaḥ kulīnaḥ syācca16 rūpavān .. 13 . .
yathāśakti tu yo dadyād divase divase naraḥ .
sa tena karmaṇāpnoti prajāpatisalokatām . . 14..

Sāvitrī, the Mother of the Vedas, and Gāyatrī together with Durgā; / Śrī, Kīrti, Lakṣmī, Dhṛti, and likewise Prajñā; / Khyāti, Diti, Danu, Aditi, Siṃhikā, Khaśā, / Rākā, Kuhū, Sinīvālī, and the auspicious Anumati; / Gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, and other auspicious rivers; / and the wives of the seers, of the gods, of the yakṣas and rakṣasas, / of the serpents, birds, and gandharvas. / All these, having come and bowed to Pārvatī, / knowledgeable in all duties and committed to dharma and purpose, asked: / “By what duty or austerity, O Lady of gods, O fair-faced one, / is great merit attained, and which [gift] is proclaimed to be imperishable?” / The goddess said: / “For your benefit, O women of good vows, and for that of the worlds, / I shall proclaim dharma properly in due order. / There is indeed no gift higher than the gift of food; / from food living beings arise; therefore, it is regarded as superior to that. / The man who, properly preparing food, gives it to a twice-born, / attains all desires and is honored in heaven. / In an aerial chariot shining like the sun, yoked with peacocks and swans / and abounding in all desirable things, the giver of food goes indeed to heaven. / If at any time that best of men returns to human existence, / he will be wealthy in grain and riches, of noble birth, and handsome. / The man who gives according to his capacity day after day, / by that action attains the world of Prajāpati.