Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19
पतितोऽयं कृतो ऽस्माभिर्नैव वित्तस्य कारणात् । प्रायश्चित्तं यतो दत्तमेकेनापि दुरात्मना
patito'yaṃ kṛto 'smābhirnaiva vittasya kāraṇāt | prāyaścittaṃ yato dattamekenāpi durātmanā
ഞങ്ങൾ ഇവനെ 'പതിതനാ'ക്കിയത് ധനത്തിന് വേണ്ടിയല്ല, മറിച്ച് ഒരു ദുരാത്മാവ് തനിയെ പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം നൽകിയതുകൊണ്ടാണ്.
Brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Brāhmaṇas confer among themselves, asserting they did not ‘make him fallen’ for wealth; one points toward a lone officiant figure symbolizing the ‘single wicked person’ who accepted/gave expiation improperly.
FAQs
Atonement must be done according to dharma; improper handling of prāyaścitta can itself become a cause of blame and downfall.
No specific tīrtha is named in this line.
It implies rules about prāyaścitta—specifically that it should not be done unilaterally by an unfit person.