Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13
महापापान्विता रौद्रास्त्वपि ये स्युः सुनिष्ठुराः । तेऽपि तीर्थैः प्रपूयंते किं पुनर्धर्मसंस्थिताः
mahāpāpānvitā raudrāstvapi ye syuḥ suniṣṭhurāḥ | te'pi tīrthaiḥ prapūyaṃte kiṃ punardharmasaṃsthitāḥ
Selbst jene, die von großen Sünden beladen sind — wild und überaus grausam — werden durch die heiligen Tīrthas gereinigt. Um wie viel mehr dann jene, die im Dharma gegründet sind!
Narrative voice (contextually Nārada in this adhyāya’s dialogue framework)
Tirtha: Tīrtha (generic)
Type: tirtha
Scene: A contrast scene: dark, fierce sinners approach a luminous tīrtha; as they bathe, their harshness dissolves, faces soften, and light surrounds them—while dharmic pilgrims stand serene nearby.
FAQs
Tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage and contact with sacred places) has extraordinary purificatory power; those grounded in dharma benefit even more.
No single site is named in this verse; it praises the general mahātmya (greatness) of tīrthas as a class.
An implied prescription: approaching/using tīrthas for purification (commonly via snāna, darśana, and worship), though no specific rite is named here.