Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4
यथा षण्ढोऽफलः स्त्रीषु यथा गौर्गवि चाफला । यथा चाज्ञेऽफलं दानं तथा विप्रोऽनृचोऽफलः
yathā ṣaṇḍho'phalaḥ strīṣu yathā gaurgavi cāphalā | yathā cājñe'phalaṃ dānaṃ tathā vipro'nṛco'phalaḥ
സ്ത്രീകളിൽ ഷണ്ഡൻ എങ്ങനെ ഫലഹീനനോ, പശു പശുവിനോട് എങ്ങനെ ഫലമില്ലയോ, അജ്ഞനു നൽകിയ ദാനം എങ്ങനെ ഫലമില്ലയോ—അങ്ങനെ വേദമന്ത്രപാരായണമില്ലാത്ത വിപ്രനും ഫലഹീനൻ।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Scene: A didactic tableau of three ‘fruitless’ pairings culminating in the warning: a brāhmaṇa without ṛc is an unfruitful recipient; the emphasis is on discernment, not ridicule.
FAQs
Merit (phala) arises when sacred acts are aligned with qualification; giving without discernment can become spiritually unproductive.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse focuses on dharmic standards for ritual giving.
It cautions that dāna (and by extension śrāddha offerings) should not be directed to an unlearned, non-Veda-reciting ‘vipra’ if one seeks phala.