Karacharana Kritam Vaa: The Kshama (Forgiveness) Mantra Explained
Karacharana Kritam Vaa - Sanskrit Text
करचरणकृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा ।
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधम् ।
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व ।
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥
Transliteration (Roman/IAST)
kara-caraṇa-kṛtaṁ vāk-kāya-jaṁ karma-jaṁ vā ।
śravaṇa-nayana-jaṁ vā mānasaṁ vāparādham ।
vihitam avihitaṁ vā sarvam etat kṣamasva ।
jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrī-mahādeva śambho ॥
Meaning
"Whatever wrong I may have committed by my hands or feet, by speech or body, by any action; whatever fault arising through the ears, the eyes or the mind; whatever has been done that is prescribed or not prescribed - forgive all of this. Victory, victory to you, O ocean of compassion, O glorious Mahadeva, O Shambhu!" The prayer offers a complete confession of every possible kind of error and surrenders it at the feet of the Lord, trusting entirely in his boundless mercy.
About this Mantra
Karacharana Kritam Vaa is the most widely recited Kshama Prarthana (prayer for forgiveness), traditionally chanted at the very end of any puja, japa, havan or worship. While the version here addresses Mahadeva (Shiva) as the ocean of compassion, the same verse is recited with the name of one's chosen deity substituted - to Vishnu, the Goddess, or Ganesha - making it a universal closing prayer of Hindu worship. It expresses the humility of the devotee who acknowledges that ritual is bound to be imperfect and seeks the Lord's pardon for any lapse.
Significance & Spiritual Benefits
The Kshama mantra teaches that sincere worship is completed not by perfection of procedure but by humility and surrender. Reciting it cleanses the heart of guilt, dissolves the anxiety of having performed a rite incorrectly, and cultivates the virtue of seeking forgiveness - the foundation of inner peace. It is believed to make any worship whole and acceptable, transforming unavoidable mistakes into an offering of humility. Regular recitation softens the ego and deepens devotion.
Astrological Relevance
As a prayer to Mahadeva (Shiva), this mantra carries the remedial grace associated with Shani (Saturn) and Ketu - the planets of karma, discipline, humility and spiritual surrender, for which Shiva is the chief deity. Seeking forgiveness and releasing the burden of past faults is itself a Saturn-aligned practice that lightens karmic weight, making this an ideal prayer for those undergoing Sade Sati or a difficult Shani dasha. Its theme of humility and surrender also pacifies the ego-related afflictions of an over-strong or wrongly placed Sun. Chanted at the close of any planetary remedy, it ensures the worship is accepted despite human error.
How to Chant (Vidhi)
This verse is recited at the conclusion of any worship, after the main puja, aarti or japa is complete. With folded hands and a bowed head, recite it once with full sincerity, mentally surrendering all faults of the rite to the Lord. It may also be chanted on its own, at the end of the day, as a prayer of repentance and release.
Best Day & Time
It is appropriate at the end of any worship on any day. For Shiva-centred recitation, Monday and the Pradosh hours are especially auspicious, as is Maha Shivaratri.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Karacharana Kritam Vaa mantra recited?
It is traditionally recited at the very end of a puja, japa or havan, as a prayer seeking forgiveness for any mistakes made during the worship.
Can it be addressed to deities other than Shiva?
Yes. Although this version addresses Mahadeva, the final line is commonly changed to invoke Vishnu, the Goddess or another chosen deity, making it a universal forgiveness prayer.
What faults does it ask forgiveness for?
For every fault committed by hand, foot, speech, body, action, ear, eye or mind - whether prescribed or not, and whether knowing or unknowing.
The grace of not holding on: Kshama Prarthana as an act of daily release
The Karacharana Kritam Vaa, known widely as the Kshama Prarthana or forgiveness mantra, holds a uniquely humble position in the repertoire of Hindu devotional practice. Where most prayers begin with aspiration, this one ends worship with honest self-examination - an acknowledgement that the devotee, however sincere, may have made errors in the course of puja: an imperfect mudra, an unclean thought, a mispronounced syllable, an act of commission or omission through hand, foot, speech, body, eye, ear, or mind, whether knowing or unknowing. By naming all seven instruments of potential error, the mantra casts a wide net of humility that leaves no transgression unaddressed. The emotional register it evokes is one of tender surrender, the relief of not having to maintain a fiction of perfection before the divine.
This prayer serves as the natural closing gesture of almost every puja tradition across sectarian lines - Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shakta, and Smarta - making it one of the most universally shared devotional texts in Hinduism. In the Jyotish tradition, the spirit of kshama (forgiveness and forbearance) is associated with Saturn (Shani), who governs karma, accountability, and the slow maturation of understanding. Devotees who recite this mantra sincerely at the conclusion of their daily worship are believed to dissolve ritual imperfections and, more importantly, to cultivate the inner quality of humility that makes further spiritual growth possible. The mantra's simplicity is itself its depth: it asks for nothing except pardon, and in that asking, the heart softens.