Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13
विधिहीने तथाऽपात्रे यो ददाति प्रतिग्रहम् । न केवलं हि तद्याति शेषं पुण्यं प्रणश्यति
vidhihīne tathā'pātre yo dadāti pratigraham | na kevalaṃ hi tadyāti śeṣaṃ puṇyaṃ praṇaśyati
Sesiapa yang memberi pemberian kepada orang yang tidak menurut vidhi (tatacara suci) dan tidak layak (apātra), bukan sahaja pahala pemberian itu lenyap, bahkan baki simpanan pahala juga musnah.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa default)
Scene: A pilgrim offers a gift; a shadowy, unworthy receiver reaches out, while a luminous store of merit (puṇya) visibly drains away—symbolizing puṇya-kṣaya from apātra-dāna.
FAQs
Dāna must follow dharmic procedure and proper eligibility; otherwise it can be spiritually harmful.
None; it is a general dharma principle about safeguarding puṇya.
Give only with vidhi and to a qualified recipient; avoid apātra-pratigraha contexts.