Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
तत्प्रभावत्सुरश्रेष्ठ स्तया मुक्ते द्विजोत्तमाः । पापं पूरुषदानेन इत्येषा वैदिकी श्रुतिः । अन्योऽपि यो नरस्तं च पूजयित्वा प्रभक्तितः । प्रयच्छेद्ब्राह्मणेन्द्राय शुद्धये पापपूरुषम् । स मुच्येत्पातकाद्घोराद्ब्रह्महत्यासमुद्भवात्
tatprabhāvatsuraśreṣṭha stayā mukte dvijottamāḥ | pāpaṃ pūruṣadānena ityeṣā vaidikī śrutiḥ | anyo'pi yo narastaṃ ca pūjayitvā prabhaktitaḥ | prayacchedbrāhmaṇendrāya śuddhaye pāpapūruṣam | sa mucyetpātakādghorādbrahmahatyāsamudbhavāt
Wahai yang terbaik antara brāhmaṇa, dengan kuasa Kapāleśvara itu, tuan para dewa telah dibebaskan olehnya (Brahmahatyā). “Dosa disingkirkan dengan pemberian ‘pāpa-pūruṣa’ (insan-dosa)”—demikianlah ajaran śruti Veda. Sesiapa pun juga, setelah memuja-Nya dengan bhakti yang mendalam, hendaklah menghadiahkan kepada brāhmaṇa yang utama, demi penyucian, suatu pāpa-pūruṣa; maka dia terlepas daripada dosa ngeri yang lahir daripada brahmahatyā (pembunuhan brāhmaṇa).
Sūta
Tirtha: Kapāleśvara
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ (dvijottamāḥ)
Scene: Indra is shown freed from the feminine personified Brahmahatyā by Kapāleśvara’s power; then a devotee performs pūjā and offers a symbolic pāpa-pūruṣa gift to a foremost brāhmaṇa for purification.
FAQs
Devotional worship at a powerful Śaiva tīrtha, joined with prescribed charity (dāna), is presented as an effective path of expiation and inner purification.
Kāpāleśvara within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is praised as capable of removing brahmahatyā-born pollution.
After worship, one should perform pāpa-pūruṣa-dāna (gift of a ‘sin-effigy/personification’) to a foremost brāhmaṇa as a purification rite.