Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31
उच्चैः पाषाणयुक्ता च न समा नैव चोषरा । न नदीकूलविकटा भूमिर्देया कदाचन
uccaiḥ pāṣāṇayuktā ca na samā naiva coṣarā | na nadīkūlavikaṭā bhūmirdeyā kadācana
On ne doit jamais donner une terre trop élevée, pleine de pierres, inégale, saline ou stérile; ni une terre âpre et difficile le long d’une rive de fleuve.
Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narration)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A donor and priest examine a plot: elevated rocky ground, uneven saline patches, and a jagged riverbank; the priest gestures ‘na deyā’ while pointing to fertile alternative land.
FAQs
Charity must be responsible and beneficial; a gift that harms or is unusable undermines dharma.
The instruction is placed within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, presenting righteous giving as part of Prabhāsa’s sacred code.
A dāna-vidhi rule for bhūmi-dāna: avoid gifting land that is barren, rocky, uneven, or otherwise unsuitable.