Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8
महापातकिभिः सार्द्धं दिनमेकं तु यो द्विजः । निवसेत्सादरं तस्य तत्क्षणाद्वै द्विजन्मनः
mahāpātakibhiḥ sārddhaṃ dinamekaṃ tu yo dvijaḥ | nivasetsādaraṃ tasya tatkṣaṇādvai dvijanmanaḥ
Mais tout dvija qui, avec déférence, demeure en compagnie de grands pécheurs ne fût-ce qu’un seul jour—dès cet instant même, sa qualité de deux-fois-né se trouve, en vérité, diminuée.
Sūta (context continuation)
Tirtha: Gautamī tīra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijāḥ
Scene: A moment of threshold: Durācāra steps into the sinners’ dwelling; as he crosses, a visible quarter of his luminous aura peels away like a fading flame, indicating instantaneous loss.
FAQs
Even brief, approving association with grave wrongdoing is portrayed as immediately damaging to one’s dharmic standing.
Dhanuṣkoṭi remains the chapter’s tīrtha focus, though this verse functions as a dharma warning.
An implicit prescription: avoid respectful companionship with mahāpātakins; maintain pure association.