Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15
सोऽपि दृष्ट्वा तदात्मानं गतं राक्षसतां द्विजाः । बाष्पपूर्णेक्षणो दीनः पितामहमुपाद्रवत्
so'pi dṛṣṭvā tadātmānaṃ gataṃ rākṣasatāṃ dvijāḥ | bāṣpapūrṇekṣaṇo dīnaḥ pitāmahamupādravat
Se voyant lui-même tombé dans l’état de rākṣasa, le brāhmane fut accablé ; les yeux pleins de larmes, il courut vers Pitāmaha pour y chercher refuge.
Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this snippet)
Scene: A brāhmaṇa, now bearing rākṣasa traits (darkened form, altered visage), looks at himself in horror; tears well as he rushes toward Brahmā’s presence for refuge.
FAQs
When one perceives the painful fruit of wrongdoing, sincere remorse and taking refuge in elders/gurus becomes the first step toward restoration of dharma.
This verse is within the Tīrthamāhātmya context of Nāgara Khaṇḍa, Adhyāya 187; the specific tīrtha name is not stated in this single shloka.
No explicit ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets the narrative tone of repentance and appeal for help.