Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61
आक्रोशानर्थहिंसानां प्रतीकाराय यद्भवेत् । दीयतेऽनुपकर्तृभ्यो भयदानं तदुच्यते
ākrośānarthahiṃsānāṃ pratīkārāya yadbhavet | dīyate'nupakartṛbhyo bhayadānaṃ taducyate
That which is given as a countermeasure against abuse, misfortune, or harm—given even to those who have rendered no help—is called “fear-giving” (bhaya-dāna).
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)
Scene: A traveler or householder, facing imminent threat (bandits/hostile crowd), offers a small purse or provisions to avert violence; the act is shown as protective, not celebratory—calm restraint amid tension.
FAQs
Some giving is defensive—meant to avert harm—showing that motive (fear vs dharma) shapes the moral texture of charity.
No sacred geography appears in this verse.
No formal rite; it identifies gifts offered for appeasement or protection as bhaya-dāna.