Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20
राजेन्द्र महिषीदानमथाष्टम्यां विशेषतः । य इच्छति सदाऽभीष्टमिह लोके परत्र च
rājendra mahiṣīdānamathāṣṭamyāṃ viśeṣataḥ | ya icchati sadā'bhīṣṭamiha loke paratra ca
Ó rei dos reis, especialmente no dia de Aṣṭamī deve-se oferecer o mahiṣī-dāna, o dom de uma búfala. Quem deseja sempre os fins queridos, neste mundo e no outro, deve fazê-lo.
Pulastya (addressing the king)
Tirtha: Piṇḍāraka
Type: kshetra
Listener: Rājendra (king)
Scene: A kingly patron or pilgrim offers a buffalo-cow (mahiṣī) as dāna on Aṣṭamī near the tīrtha; priests recite mantras; the recipient accepts with reverence; the sacred water and shrine frame the act.
FAQs
Dāna (charity) timed to sacred days amplifies both worldly welfare and spiritual destiny when aligned with dharma.
The Piṇḍāraka Tīrtha context continues; the prescription is part of its māhātmya.
Mahiṣī-dāna (donation of a she-buffalo), especially on Aṣṭamī.