Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18
चतुःप्रकारं त्रिविधं त्रिनाशं दानमुच्यते । इत्येकं श्लोकमाभाष्य खे वाणी विरराम ह
catuḥprakāraṃ trividhaṃ trināśaṃ dānamucyate | ityekaṃ ślokamābhāṣya khe vāṇī virarāma ha
„Dāna, so heißt es, ist vierfach, dreifach und von drei ‘Fehlgängen’ gezeichnet, die sein Verdienst vernichten.“ Nachdem diese eine Strophe gesprochen war, verstummte die himmlische Stimme.
Khe-vāṇī (celestial voice)
Listener: Nārada
Scene: The sky-voice completes the teaching; the radiance withdraws, leaving the king and assembly in thoughtful silence, as if holding a riddle-like verse.
FAQs
Charity must be performed with discernment: it has recognized types and can be spiritually ‘destroyed’ by specific faults.
The narrative remains within a tīrtha setting; the verse itself is a universal dharma-teaching on dāna.
Guidance for dāna: know its classifications (four/three) and avoid the three merit-destroying factors (tri-nāśa).