Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76
अथवा सत्यमेवोक्तं केनापि च महात्मना । कृपणेन समो दाता न भूतो न भविष्यति । अस्पृष्ट्वापि च वित्तं स्वं यः परेभ्यः प्रयच्छति
athavā satyamevoktaṃ kenāpi ca mahātmanā | kṛpaṇena samo dātā na bhūto na bhaviṣyati | aspṛṣṭvāpi ca vittaṃ svaṃ yaḥ parebhyaḥ prayacchati
Atau sungguh benar sabda seorang mahatma: tak pernah ada, dan takkan ada, pemberi yang menyamai si kikir—yang bahkan tanpa menikmati hartanya sendiri, menyerahkannya kepada orang lain (dengan membiarkannya sia-sia dan lenyap).
Narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual speaker not explicit in the excerpt)
Scene: Allegorical scene: a miser guarding locked chests, yet behind him Time (Kāla) or fate silently carries the wealth away toward others; the miser remains untouched by his own riches—paradox made visible.
FAQs
Unused wealth inevitably passes to others; therefore, one should consciously convert wealth into merit through dāna rather than lose it meaninglessly.
No single tīrtha is named; the teaching supports tīrtha-dharma by urging generosity as the proper companion to pilgrimage and worship.
The verse prescribes dāna in principle—directing wealth toward worthy recipients rather than hoarding.