Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23
कदा पश्यति तीर्थं वै कदा नस्तारयिष्यति । इति प्रतीक्षां कुर्वन्ति पुत्राणां सततं नृप । शूलभेदे नरः स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा शूलधरं सकृत्
kadā paśyati tīrthaṃ vai kadā nastārayiṣyati | iti pratīkṣāṃ kurvanti putrāṇāṃ satataṃ nṛpa | śūlabhede naraḥ snātvā dṛṣṭvā śūladharaṃ sakṛt
«متى سيُبصر المَعبرَ المقدّس—ومتى سيُنجّينا ويُعبر بنا؟» هكذا، أيها الملك، يظلّ الأسلاف ينتظرون أبناءهم على الدوام. أمّا في شُولابهيدا، فإذا اغتسل المرء ورأى ولو مرّةً واحدة الربَّ حاملَ الرمح الثلاثي، فقد تَحقّق له الخلاص.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing a King (nṛpa) (deduced from vocative nṛpa)
Tirtha: Śūlabheda
Type: kshetra
Listener: Nṛpa (King)
Scene: A son-pilgrim reaches a forested ford named Śūlabheda, bathes, and beholds Śiva as Śūladhara; in the subtle background, pitṛs wait with uplifted hands, their faces turning from anxiety to relief.
FAQs
Pilgrimage and devotion are portrayed as acts of filial responsibility that uplift the pitṛs; Śiva-darśana is especially salvific.
Śūlabheda-tīrtha, where bathing and seeing Śiva (Śūladhara) grants deliverance to one’s ancestral line.
Snāna (ritual bath) at Śūlabheda and darśana of Śiva, even once.