Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

आदौ क्षमां प्रति तदा ऊचुः सर्वे दिवौकसः । हे क्षमेंऽशस्त्वया ग्राह्यो हत्यायाः कार्यसिद्धये

Transliteration

ādau kṣamāṃ prati tadā ūcuḥ sarve divaukasaḥ | he kṣameṃ'śastvayā grāhyo hatyāyāḥ kāryasiddhaye

Translation

ആദ്യം സ്വർഗവാസികളായ എല്ലാവരും ക്ഷമാ (ധര)യോട് പറഞ്ഞു—“ഹേ ക്ഷമേ, ഈ കാര്യസിദ്ധിക്കായി ബ്രഹ്മഹത്യയുടെ ഒരു അംശം നീ സ്വീകരിക്കണം।”

Word by Word

• आदौ: at first
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (adverbial: 'at first')

• क्षमाम्: Kṣamā (Earth/forbearance personified)
• क्षमाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रति: towards; to
• प्रति: Sambandha (Direction/प्रत्यर्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like: 'towards/to')

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• दिवौकसः: the dwellers in heaven (gods)
• दिवौकसः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् + ओकस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (दिवः ओकः यस्य/ये) = 'heaven-dwellers'

• हे: O!
• हे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हे (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• क्षमॆ: O Kṣamā
• क्षमॆ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• अंशः: a portion; share
• अंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana/Karta (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• ग्राह्यः: to be accepted/taken
• ग्राह्यः: Kriya (Predicate necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त-भाव्य/विधेय (gerundive: 'to be taken'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (अंशः)

• हत्यायाः: of Hatyā
• हत्यायाः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कार्यसिद्धये: for the accomplishment of the task
• कार्यसिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/Dative/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कार्यस्य सिद्धिः)

Speaker

Devas (divaukasaḥ)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The devas address Kṣamā—depicted as Earth-goddess or as a serene personification of forbearance—requesting she accept a portion of Brahmahatyā for the work’s completion.

Characters & Entities

• Devas (divaukasaḥ)
• Kṣamā
• Brahmahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kṣamā—patient endurance and sustaining power—is invoked as essential for resolving even grave karmic crises.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on Kṣamā/Earth as a cosmic support in the purification process.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An apportionment principle is stated: accepting a defined ‘aṃśa’ (share) of the burden to complete the remedial act.