Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35
पापभागी स विज्ञेय इति सत्यं न संशयः । उत्कोचं यस्तु गृह्णाति पापिनां दुष्टकर्मिणाम् । सकलं च भवेत्तस्य पापं नैवात्र सशयः
pāpabhāgī sa vijñeya iti satyaṃ na saṃśayaḥ | utkocaṃ yastu gṛhṇāti pāpināṃ duṣṭakarmiṇām | sakalaṃ ca bhavettasya pāpaṃ naivātra saśayaḥ
Dia hendaklah diketahui sebagai yang berkongsi dosa—ini benar, tiada syak. Dan sesiapa menerima rasuah daripada orang berdosa lagi berbuat jahat, maka seluruh dosa itu jatuh ke atasnya; tiada keraguan di sini.
Narratorial voice (contextual dharma-instruction; explicit speaker not stated in this verse)
Scene: A solemn dharma-assembly where a judge/official refuses a pouch of coins offered by a grim, sinful petitioner; the rejected bribe appears as dark smoke returning to the giver, while a palm-leaf text of ‘nīti’ is held aloft.
FAQs
Corruption is spiritually ruinous: taking bribes makes one bear the full burden of the wrongdoer’s sin.
No site is praised in this verse; it is a dharma-teaching on justice and moral accountability.
No ritual is prescribed; it delivers a strict ethical prohibition against accepting bribes.