Shloka 25
महापातकवर्णनम् (Mahāpātaka-varṇanam) — “Description of Great Sins and Their Consequences”
ब्राह्मणं यः समाहूय दत्त्वा यश्चाददाति च । निर्द्दोषं दूषयेद्यस्तु स नरो ब्रह्महा भवेत्
brāhmaṇaṃ yaḥ samāhūya dattvā yaścādadāti ca | nirddoṣaṃ dūṣayedyastu sa naro brahmahā bhavet
Barangsiapa memanggil seorang brāhmaṇa lalu setelah memberi dana yang dijanjikan mengambilnya kembali, dan siapa yang mencemarkan brāhmaṇa yang tak bercela—ia menjadi brahmahā, pelaku dosa maha-berat.
Suta Goswami (narrating Shiva Purana teachings to the sages at Naimisharanya, within Umāsaṃhitā discourse)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
Significance: Highlights that brahmahatyā extends to betrayal and defamation of the blameless; reinforces satya-dāna and guru-brāhmaṇa honor as prerequisites for fruitful tīrtha-yātrā and liṅga-sevā.
Role: teaching
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
It warns that harming a blameless brāhmaṇa—by retracting promised charity or by false accusation—creates grave pāpa akin to brahmahatyā, obstructing merit and the soul’s progress toward Shiva’s grace (anugraha).
Linga-worship in the Shiva Purana is inseparable from dharmic conduct; devotion (bhakti) to Saguna Shiva bears fruit when paired with truthfulness, non-malice, and honoring worthy recipients of dāna, which purifies the devotee’s pasha (bondage).
Maintain a vrata of truthful charity (dāna) and disciplined speech; if performing Shiva-puja (with bhasma, rudrākṣa, or japa of the Panchakshara), couple it with non-defamation and non-retraction of vows to keep the worship spiritually effective.