Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 78
दानं भोगो नाशस्तिस्रो गतयो भवंति वित्तस्य । यो न ददाति न भुंक्ते तस्य तृतीया गतिर्भवति
dānaṃ bhogo nāśastisro gatayo bhavaṃti vittasya | yo na dadāti na bhuṃkte tasya tṛtīyā gatirbhavati
ధనానికి మూడు గతులు—దానం, భోగం, నాశనం. ఎవడు దానం చేయడు, భోగించడూ చేయడు, అతని ధనానికి మూడవ గతి—నాశమే.
Narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual speaker not explicit in the excerpt)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A moral tableau: three paths branching from a heap of coins—one leading to a donor feeding pilgrims, one to a householder enjoying modestly, and one to fire/decay where hoarded wealth collapses.
FAQs
Wealth must be transformed into merit (dāna) or used rightly (bhoga); otherwise it inevitably perishes (nāśa) without benefit.
No specific site is named; the verse functions as a universal dharma-teaching within a tīrtha-mahātmya context.
Dāna is explicitly recommended as one proper ‘destination’ of wealth, alongside dharmic enjoyment.