Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 164
तस्मान्मंत्रैः सदा देयं पौराणैर्वैदिकैरपि । अन्यथा ते न गृह्णन्ति भूतानामुपतिष्ठति
tasmānmaṃtraiḥ sadā deyaṃ paurāṇairvaidikairapi | anyathā te na gṛhṇanti bhūtānāmupatiṣṭhati
Darum sollen Gaben stets mit Mantras dargebracht werden, seien sie puranisch oder vedisch. Andernfalls nehmen sie sie nicht an, und die Opfergabe gelangt zur Schar der Geister (bhūtas).
Mahākāla (contextual)
Listener: King (nṛpa)
Scene: A ritual gift being offered with mantra as a protective aura; in contrast, shadowy bhūta figures lurk at the margins ready to seize mantra-less offerings.
FAQs
Mantra safeguards and directs the fruit of giving; without it, the intended divine recipients are not reached.
No site is named; the verse lays down a general ritual rule.
Give dāna with mantras (Purāṇic or Vedic); otherwise the devas/pitṛs do not accept it and it is diverted to bhūtas.