Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 160
ब्रह्मघ्ने च सुरापे च चौरे भग्नवते शठे । निष्कृतिर्विहिता सद्भिः कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः
brahmaghne ca surāpe ca caure bhagnavate śaṭhe | niṣkṛtirvihitā sadbhiḥ kṛtaghne nāsti niṣkṛtiḥ
Bagi pembunuh Brahmana, peminum arak, pencuri, pemecah amanah, dan si penipu—para orang saleh telah menetapkan penebusan dosa; tetapi bagi orang yang tidak tahu berterima kasih, tiada penebusan dosa.
Indra (Sahasrākṣa) (deduced from context)
Listener: Brāhmaṇas of the lineages assembled
Scene: A moral allegory: on one side, figures representing brahmahatyā, surāpāna, theft, breach of trust, deceit—each shown with a path of expiation; on the other, a shadowed figure labeled ‘kṛtaghna’ with no path, emphasizing the verse’s stark claim.
FAQs
The text elevates gratitude as foundational dharma: even grave sins may have expiation, but ingrained ingratitude is portrayed as spiritually corrosive.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it supplies a moral maxim within the tīrtha-centered narrative.
Expiations (niṣkṛti/prāyaścitta) are referenced generally, but no particular rite is specified.