Shloka 23
शङ्खचूडदूतागमनम् — The Arrival of Śaṅkhacūḍa’s Envoy
and Praise of Śiva
यानि कानि च पापानि ब्रह्महत्या दिकानि च । ज्ञातिद्रोहजपापस्य कलां नार्हंति षोडशीम्
yāni kāni ca pāpāni brahmahatyā dikāni ca | jñātidrohajapāpasya kalāṃ nārhaṃti ṣoḍaśīm
Whatever sins there are—beginning with brahmin-slaying and the like—do not amount even to a sixteenth part of the sin that arises from betraying one’s own kin.
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages at Naimisharanya, within the Yuddha narrative)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahadeva
FAQs
It teaches that inner moral rupture—betraying those bound to us by duty and trust—creates a heavier karmic stain than even notorious external sins, because it violates dharma at its relational root and hardens the heart against grace.
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is not merely ritual; it presupposes dharmic conduct. Betrayal of kin is portrayed as a grave obstruction to receiving Shiva’s anugraha (grace), so devotion must be supported by ethical integrity.
A practical takeaway is repentance with sincere resolve, followed by steady japa of Shiva’s mantra (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined conduct to rebuild trust and dharma.