Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
तत्प्रभावत्सुरश्रेष्ठ स्तया मुक्ते द्विजोत्तमाः । पापं पूरुषदानेन इत्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । अन्योऽपि यो नरस्तं च पूजयित्वा प्रभक्तितः । प्रयच्छेद्ब्राह्मणेन्द्राय शुद्धये पापपूरुषम् । स मुच्येत्पातकाद्घोराद्ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवात्
tatprabhāvatsuraśreṣṭha stayā mukte dvijottamāḥ | pāpaṃ pūruṣadānena ityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ | anyo'pi yo narastaṃ ca pūjayitvā prabhaktitaḥ | prayacchedbrāhmaṇendrāya śuddhaye pāpapūruṣam | sa mucyetpātakādghorādbrahmahatyāsamudbhavāt
Ô meilleurs des brāhmaṇas, par la puissance de ce Kapāleśvara, le seigneur des dieux fut délivré par elle (Brahmahatyā). « Le péché est ôté par le don d’un “pāpa-pūruṣa” (personne-du-péché) »—telle est l’enseignement védique de la śruti. De même, tout autre homme, après avoir adoré cette divinité avec une profonde bhakti, doit offrir au plus éminent des brāhmaṇas, pour sa purification, un pāpa-pūruṣa ; et il sera libéré du terrible péché né de la brahmahatyā (meurtre d’un brāhmane).
Sūta
Tirtha: Kapāleśvara
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ (dvijottamāḥ)
Scene: Indra is shown freed from the feminine personified Brahmahatyā by Kapāleśvara’s power; then a devotee performs pūjā and offers a symbolic pāpa-pūruṣa gift to a foremost brāhmaṇa for purification.
FAQs
Devotional worship at a powerful Śaiva tīrtha, joined with prescribed charity (dāna), is presented as an effective path of expiation and inner purification.
Kāpāleśvara within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is praised as capable of removing brahmahatyā-born pollution.
After worship, one should perform pāpa-pūruṣa-dāna (gift of a ‘sin-effigy/personification’) to a foremost brāhmaṇa as a purification rite.