Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59
एवमुक्ते तया वाक्ये स्तम्भितेऽर्के तमोमयम् । न च प्रजायते सर्वं निर्वषट्कारसत्क्रियम्
evamukte tayā vākye stambhite'rke tamomayam | na ca prajāyate sarvaṃ nirvaṣaṭkārasatkriyam
عندما تحدثت هكذا، توقفت الشمس، وصار كل شيء ظلاماً. ولم يعد شيء يعمل كما ينبغي؛ فلا صيحات 'فاشات'، ولا طقوس مقدسة، ولا شعائر صحيحة.
Narrator (within Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya’s discourse contextually, though not explicit in this verse)
Listener: Pārtha (frame implied by surrounding address)
Scene: The sun stands immobilized; a blanket of darkness covers settlements; fire-altars sit cold; priests fall silent—no vaṣaṭ resounds; daily rites stall across the world.
FAQs
Cosmic stability and ritual life are interconnected in Purāṇic thought; when order collapses, dharmic rites also cease.
The Revā (Narmadā) narrative framework continues; the verse emphasizes universal ritual breakdown rather than a single site.
It references the absence of vaṣaṭkāra and satkriyā—key markers of functioning Vedic rites.