Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 18
क्वाहं पापमतिर्घोरः सर्वप्राणिभयंकरः । क्व ते महानुभावस्य दर्शनं करुणात्मनः
kvāhaṃ pāpamatirghoraḥ sarvaprāṇibhayaṃkaraḥ | kva te mahānubhāvasya darśanaṃ karuṇātmanaḥ
Ta là ai—kẻ tâm trí tội lỗi, ghê rợn, làm kinh hãi mọi loài hữu tình? Thế mà đây lại là darśana của Ngài—bậc đại đức, bản tính từ bi? (Kẻ như ta sao có thể được chiêm bái Ngài?)
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.