Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 14
पापिनं पुरुषं यो हि समर्थो न निहंति च । तस्य तावंति पापानि तदर्धं सोऽप्यवाश्रुते
pāpinaṃ puruṣaṃ yo hi samartho na nihaṃti ca | tasya tāvaṃti pāpāni tadardhaṃ so'pyavāśrute
Whoever is capable yet does not strike down a sinful man—so many sins of that offender accrue to him as well, and he takes upon himself half of them.
Vāsudeva
Listener: Guha (Skanda/Kumāra)
Scene: A capable warrior-guardian hesitates while a wrongdoer harms others; a scale appears overhead showing sin tipping toward the hesitator; then the guardian acts, restoring balance and protecting the vulnerable.
FAQs
In dharma, negligence is also culpable: failing to restrain harm when one can makes one share the moral burden.
None; the focus is ethical duty rather than sacred geography.
None; it is a moral injunction regarding action and responsibility.