Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 29
विधिहीनं तथाऽपात्रे यो ददाति प्रतिग्रहम् । न केवलं हि तद्याति शेषं तस्य च नश्यति
vidhihīnaṃ tathā'pātre yo dadāti pratigraham | na kevalaṃ hi tadyāti śeṣaṃ tasya ca naśyati
Siapa yang memberi dana tanpa vidhi, dan pula kepada penerima yang tidak layak, ia bukan hanya kehilangan pemberian itu; sisa pahala dan hartanya pun turut menyusut.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A donor hastily gives to an unworthy recipient; the atmosphere turns somber as the gift is mishandled, symbolizing dissipation of merit; a wise elder gestures caution.
FAQs
Charity must be discerning and rule-guided; careless giving can destroy both the gift’s merit and one’s remaining spiritual/ethical capital.
The broader discourse is situated in Kāśī Khaṇḍa; the verse teaches universal dāna-dharma within Kāśī’s sanctifying narrative frame.
Avoid vidhihīna (ruleless) and apātra (unfit-recipient) dāna; ensure the recipient’s worthiness and the act’s correctness.