Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52
आयसेन तु पात्रेण यत्रान्नं च प्रदीयते । तच्छ्राद्धं ते मया दत्तं तथान्यदपि हीयते
āyasena tu pātreṇa yatrānnaṃ ca pradīyate | tacchrāddhaṃ te mayā dattaṃ tathānyadapi hīyate
حيث يُقدَّم الطعام في إناءٍ من حديد، فإنّ ذلك الشرادها أعدّه كأنّي قد وهبتُه لك؛ وبهذه الكيفية تنقص سائرُ المآثر أيضًا.
Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha), addressing the Rākṣasa
Listener: Rākṣasa (implied)
Scene: A priest halts a server holding an iron bowl meant for śrāddha food; the correct vessels are shown nearby; a rākṣasa figure symbolically draws away the merit as the scene darkens slightly around the iron vessel.
FAQs
Dharma includes correct means; improper ritual implements can reduce or misdirect the merit of sacred acts.
The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
Avoid serving śrāddha food in iron vessels; follow approved utensils to preserve the rite’s merit.