Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6
यः श्राद्धे अभयं दद्यात्प्राणिनां जीवितैषिणाम् । अश्वदानसहस्रेण रथदानशतेन च । दन्तिनां च सहस्रेण अभयं च विशिष्यते
yaḥ śrāddhe abhayaṃ dadyātprāṇināṃ jīvitaiṣiṇām | aśvadānasahasreṇa rathadānaśatena ca | dantināṃ ca sahasreṇa abhayaṃ ca viśiṣyate
Pada waktu śrāddha, sesiapa yang menganugerahkan ‘abhaya’—perlindungan tanpa takut—kepada makhluk yang mendambakan hidup, maka dana itu lebih utama, mengatasi seribu sedekah kuda, seratus sedekah kereta, bahkan seribu sedekah gajah.
Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A śrāddha setting in Prabhāsa: a householder offers water and piṇḍa, while simultaneously granting ‘abhaya’—releasing a bound animal or protecting frightened beings; in the background, symbolic royal gifts (horses, chariots, elephants) appear diminished compared to the radiant aura of protection.
FAQs
Non-violence and protection—granting safety to beings—is portrayed as a charity greater than lavish material donations.
The instruction belongs to Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s māhātmya, where śrāddha ethics and merits are magnified.
Abhaya-dāna in connection with śrāddha: ensuring living beings are unharmed and secure.