Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28
श्रुतशीलविहीनाय धर्मज्ञायापि मानवः । श्राद्धं ददाति कन्यां च यस्तेनाग्निं विना हुतम्
śrutaśīlavihīnāya dharmajñāyāpi mānavaḥ | śrāddhaṃ dadāti kanyāṃ ca yastenāgniṃ vinā hutam
Jika seseorang mempersembahkan Śrāddha—atau bahkan mengahwinkan puterinya—kepada orang yang tiada ilmu śruti dan tiada budi pekerti, walaupun dia pandai berbicara tentang dharma, maka perbuatan itu laksana persembahan yang dilakukan tanpa api suci.
Unspecified (normative Purāṇic instruction within Tīrthamāhātmya)
Type: kshetra
Listener: A king addressed as ‘nṛpaśārdūla’ (tiger among kings) in the surrounding passage
Scene: A householder prepares śrāddha offerings; in the foreground a ‘dharma-speaker’ lacking discipline is contrasted with a serene, learned brāhmaṇa; behind them a sacred fire burns—symbolizing that rites without proper ‘agni’ (proper medium/fitness) are futile.
FAQs
Ritual and charity require worthy recipients; knowledge without character (or mere talk of dharma) cannot sustain sacred results.
No specific site is mentioned; the verse gives a general dharma principle applicable to Śrāddha performed anywhere, including tīrthas.
Do not perform Śrāddha (or major gifts like kanyādāna) toward those lacking scriptural learning and good conduct; it is compared to offering without consecrated fire.