Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, 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
Quels que soient les péchés—à commencer par le meurtre d’un brahmane et autres—ils n’atteignent pas même le seizième de la faute qui naît de la trahison envers ses propres proches.
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.