Karacharana Kritam in Sanskrit, English with Meaning

Karacharana Kritam

करचरण कृतं वाक्कायजं कर्मजं वा ।
श्रवणनयनजं वा मानसं वापराधं ।
विहितमविहितं वा सर्वमेतत्क्षमस्व ।
जय जय करुणाब्धे श्रीमहादेव शम्भो ॥

karacaraṇa kṛtaṃ vākkāyajaṃ karmajaṃ vā .
śravaṇanayanajaṃ vā mānasaṃ vāparādhaṃ .
vihitamavihitaṃ vā sarvametatkṣamasva .
jaya jaya karuṇābdhe śrīmahādeva śambho ..

O Compassionate Mahadeva! O Sambhu! Victory to Thee! Please do forgive all the errors committed (by me) with the hands, legs, speech, body, through actions, through the ears, eyes, mind or by (not doing) ordained actions or (by doing) prohibited actions.

Description

A prayer asking the Lord (Shiva) for total forgiveness. A prayer to God Shiva asking him to forgive all our mistakes, which are committed by our various organs of action and speech, and bless us with his mercy. Lord Shiva is known as the lord of mercy and compassion. This is a great prayer to say with full earnestness at the end of each day, just before going to sleep. A detailed explanation follows:

करचरण कृतं – done with hand(s) and leg(s);
वाक् कायजम् – born of speech and the body;
कर्मजम् – born of actions; वा – or;
श्रवणनयनजं – born of ears and eyes; वा – or;
मानसम् (born of) the mind; वा – or;
अपराधम् – errors (sins);
विहितम् – ordained;
अविहितम् – prohibited; वा – or;
सर्वम् – all; एतत् – this;
क्षमस्व – do forgive;
जय जय – victory to Thee;
करुणाब्धे – O Compassionate One;
श्री महादेव – O Mahadeva; शम्भो – O Sambhu.

To err is human, to forgive divine. We tend to err and commit mistakes knowingly or unknowingly ever so often. We should be alert enough to realize our mistakes, regret doing the same (paścāttāpa), seek forgiveness (kṣamā yācanā), resolve never to repeat them, and do our best to compensate for the same by expiatory action (prāyaścitta). Now, how do we commit sins?

Mistakes or sins committed with our limbs: kara-carana kṛtam: Hands do wrong when they serve the unrighteous ones, when they steal, aggrandize and hurt others, and do not worship God or serve His devotees or give in charity. To go where we should not (places of vices and seeking the company of the unholy) and not to go where we should (satsanga – sacred places and holy company) is to sin with the legs.

Mistakes or sins born of speech, body and actions: vāk-kāyajam-karmajam: The speech does wrong when we criticize others or gossip, utter untruths and harsh words and not sing His glories. To worship only the body (deha pūjā) and not the Lord (deva pūjā), to do evil actions and not to work for self-improvement is to sin through the body and by our actions.

Mistakes and sins born of ears and eyes: śravaṇa-nayanajam: We do wrong through our ears, when we listen to gossip, when we ignore good advice, and do not listen to the glories of God. To see and appreciate only the inauspicious and not His glories is to sin with the eyes.

(Born of) the mind: mānasam: To think evil, plot devious acts, and never meditate on God or enquire about the Truth is to sin mentally.

Ordained or prohibited: vihitam-avihitam: We do wrong when we partially follow the ordained or do what is prohibited.

Here the devotee asks for a blanket (complete) forgiveness that covers all his sins and mistakes. Such forgiveness is possible only by God or by Divine Souls. It is only His compassion and His inherent divine nature that makes the Lord forgive us each time. Who would not worship such a great and compassionate Lord? May He always be victorious. Indeed, He alone is always victorious!! May He shower His blessings on us always.

Other Shiva Shlokams

Karacharana Kritam – Shiva – In Sanskrit with English Transliteration, Translation and Meaning. Commentary for selected Shlokams.