Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

हराय क्षांतिरूपाय क्षेत्रज्ञाय क्षमाकर । क्षमाय क्षितिहर्त्रे च क्षीरगौराय ते नमः

Transliteration

harāya kṣāṃtirūpāya kṣetrajñāya kṣamākara | kṣamāya kṣitihartre ca kṣīragaurāya te namaḥ

Translation

ക്ഷമാസ്വരൂപനായ ഹരനേയും, ക്ഷേത്രജ്ഞനായ അന്തരാത്മാവേയും, ഹേ ക്ഷമാകർത്താവേ—നമസ്കാരം. സഹനശക്തിസ്വരൂപനേ, ഭൂമിഭാരഹർത്താവേ, ക്ഷീരഗൗര തേജസ്സോടെ ദീപ്തനായ പ്രഭുവേ—നിനക്ക് നമഃ.

Word by Word

• हराय: to Hara
• हराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• क्षान्तिरूपाय: to him whose form is forbearance
• क्षान्तिरूपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षान्ति-रूप (प्रातिपदिक); क्षान्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: क्षान्तेः रूपम् यस्य)

• क्षेत्रज्ञाय: to the knower of the field (kṣetrajña)
• क्षेत्रज्ञाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक); क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्ञ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः तत्पुरुषः: क्षेत्रं जानाति इति)

• क्षमाकर: O maker of forgiveness
• क्षमाकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमाकर (प्रातिपदिक); क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; (समासः तत्पुरुषः: क्षमां करोति इति)

• क्षमाय: to Kṣamā (forgiveness)
• क्षमाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• क्षितिहर्त्रे: to the remover/destroyer of the earth
• क्षितिहर्त्रे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति-हर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक); क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक) + हर्तृ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: क्षितेः हर्ता)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• क्षीरगौराय: to the milk-white one
• क्षीरगौराय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षीर-गौर (प्रातिपदिक); क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक) + गौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; (समासः कर्मधारयः: क्षीरवत् गौरः)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Karma (Object of salutation/कर्म)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; नमः-शब्दः (salutation particle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) as Jñāna-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Hara seated in meditative stillness, milk-white aura; a pilgrim bows, symbolically laying down a heavy load that dissolves into light; subtle motif of ‘field and knower’ shown as a landscape reflected in the heart-lotus.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Hara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva is both inner consciousness (kṣetrajña) and moral ideal (kṣānti/kṣamā), guiding dharma and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative frame; the verse emphasizes the inner realization and ethical purification associated with Kāśī worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it implicitly commends cultivating kṣamā (forgiveness) alongside Śiva-bhakti.