Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53
कितवो हि महापापो देवब्राह्मणनिंदकः । निकृत्या परयोपेतः परदाररतो महान्
kitavo hi mahāpāpo devabrāhmaṇaniṃdakaḥ | nikṛtyā parayopetaḥ paradārarato mahān
นักพนันผู้นั้นแท้จริงเป็นมหาบาป—ผู้หมิ่นเทพและพราหมณ์ จมอยู่ในเล่ห์กล และหลงใหลภรรยาผู้อื่นอย่างยิ่ง
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), speaking to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrimage audience
Scene: A dissolute gambler, gaunt and restless, shown in shadowed tones—symbols of dice, furtive glances, and a courtesan’s doorway—contrasted with a distant luminous Kedāra shrine suggesting possible redemption.
FAQs
Adharma—slander of the divine and the righteous, deceit, and sexual misconduct—deepens bondage and suffering.
The moral exemplum is situated in Kedārakhaṇḍa, supporting Kedāra’s dharmic message.
No explicit ritual is stated; the verse characterizes the sinner to set up a reformative narrative.