Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104
बालत्वेऽपि च सोऽश्राति यद्दत्तं दम्भकारणात् । दत्तमन्यायतो वित्तं वै चार्थकारणम्
bālatve'pi ca so'śrāti yaddattaṃ dambhakāraṇāt | dattamanyāyato vittaṃ vai cārthakāraṇam
ദംഭം കൊണ്ടു ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ യൗവനത്തിലേയും നശിക്കുന്നു; അന്യായമായി സമ്പാദിച്ച ധനം ലൗകികലാഭത്തിനായി ദാനം ചെയ്താലും അതും പതനത്തിലേക്കേ നയിക്കും।
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A wealthy donor performs a public donation with trumpets and onlookers, while a shadowy figure behind counts gains; the scene subtly shows the donor’s fall—cracked pedestal, wilting garlands—symbolizing ruin from hypocrisy and unjust wealth.
FAQs
Charity must be pure in motive; giving done for show or profit destroys merit and brings harm.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it teaches general Purāṇic dharma about righteous giving.
It implicitly regulates dāna: avoid hypocritical giving and avoid giving wealth acquired through injustice.