Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 63
मूर्खो हि न ददात्यर्थानिह दारिद्र्यशंकया । प्राज्ञस्तु विसृजत्यर्थानमुत्र तस्य शंकया
mūrkho hi na dadātyarthāniha dāridryaśaṃkayā | prājñastu visṛjatyarthānamutra tasya śaṃkayā
മൂഢൻ ഇവിടെ ദാരിദ്ര്യഭയത്താൽ ധനം ദാനം ചെയ്യില്ല. എന്നാൽ ജ്ഞാനി പരലോകത്തിലെ ദാരിദ്ര്യശങ്കയാൽ ധനം വിട്ടുകൊടുക്കുന്നു.
Sārasvata (contextual continuation)
Scene: Two figures contrasted: a miser clutching coins with anxious eyes; a wise donor calmly offering a pot of water/food to a pilgrim or priest, with a faint vision of the afterlife behind (a path of light vs a barren realm).
FAQs
Fear can be redirected: the wise fear spiritual deprivation after death and therefore practice charity, converting wealth into lasting merit.
No tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes posthumous consequence (amutra) rather than sacred geography.
It prescribes dāna in principle—giving wealth away as a dharmic safeguard for the afterlife.