Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 101
अनर्हते यद्ददाति न ददाति तथार्हते । अर्हानर्हपरिज्ञानाद्दानधर्मो हि दुष्करः
anarhate yaddadāti na dadāti tathārhate | arhānarhaparijñānāddānadharmo hi duṣkaraḥ
เมื่อผู้ใดให้ทานแก่ผู้ไม่ควร และไม่ให้แก่ผู้ควร—เพราะการรู้จำแนกผู้ควรกับผู้ไม่ควรนั้นยาก—ธรรมแห่งทานจึงเป็นสิ่งปฏิบัติได้ยากยิ่ง
Nārada (continuing reflection; general dharma statement)
Scene: A contemplative donor stands at a crossroads: one path leads to a humble, worthy ascetic; the other to an ostentatious, unworthy claimant. A subtle aura indicates discernment as the central theme.
FAQs
Charity must be guided by discernment; giving wrongly can undermine the intended dharmic outcome.
None; it is an ethical guideline about recipients of dāna.
Choose proper recipients (pātra) and avoid misdirected giving; the verse frames this as a key challenge in dāna.