Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 28
न्यायागतेन द्रव्येण कर्तव्यं पारलौकिकम् । दानं च विधिना देयं काले पात्रे च भावतः
nyāyāgatena dravyeṇa kartavyaṃ pāralaukikam | dānaṃ ca vidhinā deyaṃ kāle pātre ca bhāvataḥ
With wealth acquired through righteous means, one should perform deeds that bear fruit beyond this world. Charity (dāna), too, should be given according to proper rule—at the right time, to a worthy recipient, and with sincere intention.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A householder in Kāśī offers a carefully prepared gift to a worthy brāhmaṇa/recipient near a ghat, with Ganga flowing behind; the giver’s posture shows humility and śraddhā.
FAQs
Merit-bearing acts, especially charity, must be grounded in righteous livelihood, proper procedure, and sincere intention.
The teaching belongs to the Kāśī Māhātmya context of the Skanda Purāṇa, situating dharma as especially potent in Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), even when the verse is a general rule.
Dāna should be performed with vidhi—given at the proper time (kāla), to a fit recipient (pātra), and with proper bhāva (inner disposition).