Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18
क्वाहं पापमतिर्घोरः सर्वप्राणिभयंकरः । क्व ते महानुभावस्य दर्शनं करुणात्मनः
kvāhaṃ pāpamatirghoraḥ sarvaprāṇibhayaṃkaraḥ | kva te mahānubhāvasya darśanaṃ karuṇātmanaḥ
क्वाहं पापमतिर्घोरः सर्वप्राणिभयंकरः? क्व च ते करुणात्मनो महानुभावस्य दर्शनम्—कथं मादृशोऽहं त्वां द्रष्टुमर्हामि?
Rākṣasa (speaking to Vāmadeva)
Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (frame); immediate listener is Vāmadeva
Scene: A fearsome rākṣasa, dark and rugged, stands with folded hands, eyes lowered in shame, before a serene, radiant sage whose face is compassionate; the forest backdrop is still, as if listening.
FAQs
Even the gravely sinful awaken to humility when they encounter a truly compassionate saintly presence; remorse is the doorway to upliftment.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the emphasis is on the transformative power of darśana (holy encounter).
None is stated here; the verse focuses on inner contrition rather than an external rite.