Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 96
तत्रतत्र द्विजैः सर्वै र्निंदितोऽसौ महात्मभिः । व्यासं शरणमापेदे प्रायश्चित्तचिकीर्षया
tatratatra dvijaiḥ sarvai rniṃdito'sau mahātmabhiḥ | vyāsaṃ śaraṇamāpede prāyaścittacikīrṣayā
ไม่ว่าไปแห่งใด เขาถูกเหล่าทวิชผู้มีจิตยิ่งใหญ่ติเตียนทั้งสิ้น ด้วยความปรารถนาจะทำปรายัศจิตตะ (การชดใช้บาป) เขาจึงไปขอพึ่งพระเวทวยาสะ
Narrator (contextual, likely Sūta-style narration within Setukhaṇḍa)
Scene: Aśvatthāman, repeatedly turned away by brāhmaṇas, finally resolves to seek Vyāsa; he stands at a crossroads with distant mountains hinted, hands clasped in surrender.
FAQs
For grave wrongdoing, one must approach a genuine spiritual authority and accept prescribed prāyaścitta rather than seeking mere social acceptance.
No single tīrtha is praised in this verse; it narrates movement across places and the turn toward Vyāsa.
Prāyaścitta is mentioned in principle (the intent to perform expiation), without details in this line.