Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 22
तत्सर्वं प्रकृतेः कार्यं मिथ्यावादो निर्र्थकः । प्रकृतेः परतो भूत्वा किमर्थं तप्यते तपः
tatsarvaṃ prakṛteḥ kāryaṃ mithyāvādo nirrthakaḥ | prakṛteḥ parato bhūtvā kimarthaṃ tapyate tapaḥ
«إنّ ذلك كلَّه إنما هو فعلُ البركريتي (Prakṛti)، والكلام بخلافه لغوٌ لا طائل منه. فإذا كنتَ حقًّا قائمًا وراء البركريتي، فلأيّ غايةٍ يُؤدَّى هذا التَّبَس (tapas)؟»
Girijā (Pārvatī) (deduced from immediate narrative context)
Tirtha: Kedāra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śiva
Scene: Pārvatī presses a sharp philosophical point: everything perceived is prakṛti’s work; if Śiva is beyond it, why tapas? The scene shows a contrast between still transcendence and active austerity.
FAQs
It questions the meaning of austerity if one truly claims transcendence beyond Prakṛti, urging integrity between doctrine and practice.
The setting belongs to Kedārakhaṇḍa (Kedāra/Himālaya sacred region), framing the dialogue within Himalayan tīrtha-mahātmya.
Tapas (austerity) is discussed, but no specific vrata, dāna, or snāna rule is prescribed in this verse.