Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17
कृतघ्न उवाच । न मे गतिर्महाराज संजाता पापकर्मिणः । तडागवित्तचौरस्य कृतघ्नस्य तथैव च
kṛtaghna uvāca | na me gatirmahārāja saṃjātā pāpakarmiṇaḥ | taḍāgavittacaurasya kṛtaghnasya tathaiva ca
കൃതഘ്നൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരാജാ, പാപകർമ്മിയായ എനിക്ക് യാതൊരു സദ്ഗതിയും ലഭിച്ചിട്ടില്ല; കുളത്തിനായി മാറ്റിവെച്ച ധനം മോഷ്ടിച്ചവനും കൃതഘ്നനുമായ ഞാൻ തന്നെയാണ്।
Kṛtaghna (the preta, self-identifying)
Type: kshetra
Scene: In the dream, the preta speaks with folded hands, face contorted by pain; behind him a faint vision of an unfinished/neglected pond project symbolizes the stolen taḍāga funds.
FAQs
Misappropriating sacred/public welfare resources and ingratitude are condemned as heavy sins with severe post-death consequences.
Not yet specified; the verse focuses on the preta’s confession of sin.
Implicitly, it points to the merit of building/maintaining water tanks (taḍāga) and the grave fault of stealing such funds.