Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 63
ब्राह्मणाय च गौर्देया सर्वत्रसुखमश्नुते । न देया द्विजमात्राय दातारं सोऽवपातयेत्
brāhmaṇāya ca gaurdeyā sarvatrasukhamaśnute | na deyā dvijamātrāya dātāraṃ so'vapātayet
La vache doit être donnée à un véritable brāhmane; le donateur jouit du bonheur en tout lieu. Mais qu’on ne la donne pas à celui qui n’est « deux-fois-né » que de nom : un tel receveur mène le donateur à la chute.
Brahmā (deduced: Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa context—Brahmā addressing Nārada)
Tirtha: Ayodhyā-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A split-scene moral tableau: on one side, a true brāhmaṇa receiving go-dāna with blessing; on the other, a merely nominal dvija receiving greedily, with the donor shown falling into misfortune—illustrating apātra-dāna doṣa.
FAQs
Dāna must be guided by discernment; giving to an unworthy recipient can negate merit and harm the giver.
Ayodhyā, where the text emphasizes dharmic standards for charity.
Go-dāna along with strict pātra-selection—offering to a qualified Brāhmaṇa rather than a merely nominal dvija.