Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72
तस्मादशुभकर्मापि कर्मणा येन पातकम् । स्वल्पेनापि निहन्त्याशु याति स्वर्गं नरस्ततः
tasmādaśubhakarmāpi karmaṇā yena pātakam | svalpenāpi nihantyāśu yāti svargaṃ narastataḥ
Ainsi, même celui qui est souillé par des actes inauspices—s’il détruit vite le péché par quelque action, fût-ce avec un faible effort—alors cet homme va au ciel.
Brāhmaṇa (continuing, as part of the dialogue)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A remorseful pilgrim performs a simple yet potent act—offering water, japa, or a small dāna—while a dark cloud of sin disperses, revealing a bright path upward.
FAQs
Purāṇic dharma emphasizes transformation: sincere corrective action can rapidly neutralize sin and redirect one toward svarga.
Not specified in this verse; it prepares the ground for naming a particular vrata/niyama/tīrtha in the next request.
A general notion of pāpa-nāśa (sin-destruction) through a dharmic act; the specific practice is asked for subsequently.