Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26
राक्षस उवाच । अनुक्रोशोस्ति यदि ते भगवंस्तापसोत्तम । स्ववृत्तांतं तदा वच्मि शृणुष्वावहितः क्षणम्
rākṣasa uvāca | anukrośosti yadi te bhagavaṃstāpasottama | svavṛttāṃtaṃ tadā vacmi śṛṇuṣvāvahitaḥ kṣaṇam
ರಾಕ್ಷಸನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಭಗವನ್, ತಪಸ್ವಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠನೇ! ನಿನಗೆ ಕರುಣೆ ಇದ್ದರೆ, ನನ್ನ ವೃತ್ತಾಂತವನ್ನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತೇನೆ; ಕ್ಷಣಮಾತ್ರ ಎಚ್ಚರದಿಂದ ಕೇಳು.
Rākṣasa
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: The rākṣasa speaks earnestly, palms joined, eyes lowered; the sage’s face shows compassion and readiness to hear, creating a quiet space for confession.
FAQs
Compassion creates space for truth-telling; confession before the righteous is the first step toward purification.
Implicitly Kāśī’s dharmic milieu, where even the fallen seek guidance through saintly compassion.
No explicit ritual; the dharmic act is attentive listening by the sage and truthful self-disclosure by the speaker.