Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 82
यद्दत्त्वा तप्यते पश्चादासुरं तद्धृथा मतम् । अश्रद्धया यद्ददाति राक्षसं स्याद्वृथैव तत्
yaddattvā tapyate paścādāsuraṃ taddhṛthā matam | aśraddhayā yaddadāti rākṣasaṃ syādvṛthaiva tat
جو دان دے کر بعد میں پچھتاوے کی آگ میں جلتا رہے، وہ ‘آسُر’ سمجھا گیا ہے اور وہ دان ضائع ہو جاتا ہے۔ اور جو بے اعتقادی سے دیتا ہے وہ ‘راکْشَس’ ہے—وہ بھی بے ثمر رہتا ہے۔
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)
Scene: A donor hands a gift but later turns away with a troubled face (regret), contrasted with another donor giving mechanically without devotion; the teacher points out the inner fault as the true destroyer of merit.
FAQs
The inner state matters: charity given with regret or without faith loses its purifying and merit-bearing power.
No sacred geography is mentioned; the verse teaches ethical standards for dāna.
Avoid two merit-destroying modes: giving then regretting (āsura), and giving without śraddhā/faith (rākṣasa).