Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52
आयसेन तु पात्रेण यत्रान्नं च प्रदीयते । तच्छ्राद्धं ते मया दत्तं तथान्यदपि हीयते
āyasena tu pātreṇa yatrānnaṃ ca pradīyate | tacchrāddhaṃ te mayā dattaṃ tathānyadapi hīyate
Là où la nourriture est servie dans un récipient de fer, ce śrāddha, je le tiens pour donné par moi à toi; et de la sorte, d’autres mérites aussi s’amoindrissent.
Brahmā (Lokapitāmaha), addressing the Rākṣasa
Listener: Rākṣasa (implied)
Scene: A priest halts a server holding an iron bowl meant for śrāddha food; the correct vessels are shown nearby; a rākṣasa figure symbolically draws away the merit as the scene darkens slightly around the iron vessel.
FAQs
Dharma includes correct means; improper ritual implements can reduce or misdirect the merit of sacred acts.
The passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
Avoid serving śrāddha food in iron vessels; follow approved utensils to preserve the rite’s merit.