Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 162
विना मंत्रैश्च यद्दत्तं न तद्गृह्णन्ति तेऽमलाः । श्रुतिरप्यत्र प्राहेदं मंत्राणां विषये नृप
vinā maṃtraiśca yaddattaṃ na tadgṛhṇanti te'malāḥ | śrutirapyatra prāhedaṃ maṃtrāṇāṃ viṣaye nṛpa
মন্ত্ৰ নোহোৱাকৈ যি দান দিয়া হয়, সেই নিৰ্মল মহাত্মাসকলে তাক গ্ৰহণ নকৰে। হে নৃপ, মন্ত্ৰসম্বন্ধীয় বিষয়ত ইয়াত শ্ৰুতিয়েও এই কথাই কৈছে।
Mahākāla (contextual)
Listener: King (nṛpa)
Scene: A calm instructional scene: a king seated respectfully before a fierce-yet-auspicious Mahākāla teacher; a dāna setting with vessels, kuśa, and ritual implements; emphasis on spoken mantra as luminous syllables.
FAQs
Ritual acts must be sanctified by mantra; tradition grounds this in śruti (Vedic authority).
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is doctrinal about mantra and acceptance of gifts.
Do not give offerings/dāna without mantras; the pure recipients do not accept such gifts.