Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 113

Devanagari script

स्तोत्रैस्ततश्च संस्तूय दण्डवत्प्रणमेद्भुवि । क्षमापयेच्च देवेशं सुकृतं कुकृतं क्षम

Transliteration

stotraistataśca saṃstūya daṇḍavatpraṇamedbhuvi | kṣamāpayecca deveśaṃ sukṛtaṃ kukṛtaṃ kṣama

Translation

Then, praising the Lord with hymns, one should bow upon the earth in full prostration (daṇḍavat). And one should seek forgiveness from the Lord of gods: “Forgive my good deeds and my misdeeds alike.”

Word by Word

• stotraiḥ: with hymns
• stotraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Instrumental, Plural)

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रम/अनन्तरार्थक (adverb: then/thereafter)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• saṃstūya: having praised
• saṃstūya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-stu (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), परस्मैपद-धातु (Having praised)

• daṇḍavat: prostratingly
• daṇḍavat: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: daṇḍavat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: like a staff; prostrate)

• praṇamet: should bow
• praṇamet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-ṇam (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular)

• bhuvi: on the ground
• bhuvi: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Locative, Singular)

• kṣamāpayet: should seek forgiveness (make forgive)
• kṣamāpayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣam (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोजक (Causative optative: should cause to forgive / should ask forgiveness)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• deveśam: the Lord of gods
• deveśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (devānām īśaḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• sukṛtam: good deed; merit
• sukṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• kukṛtam: bad deed; sin
• kukṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kukṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• kṣama: forgive!
• kṣama: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (Imperative, Parasmaipada, 2nd person, Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced; includes a devotee’s penitential formula)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee lies fully prostrate (daṇḍavat) before the liṅga; hands extended, forehead to the ground; a priest and other devotees stand quietly as hymns fade into a solemn plea for forgiveness.

Characters & Entities

• Deveśa (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worship culminates in humility—praise, surrender, and repentance purify the heart and complete devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; it teaches the concluding acts of Śiva-pūjā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite stotras, perform daṇḍavat praṇāma, and offer a kṣamā-prārthanā (prayer for forgiveness) to Deveśa.