ततश्चैव जलाहारस्तावन्मात्रं व्यवस्थितः । कालं स वायुभक्षश्च ततश्चैवायुतं समाः सूत उवाच । अथ दृष्ट्वा तपःशक्तिं तस्य तां त्रिदशाधिपः । पातायष्यति मां नूनमेष स्थानान्नृपोत्तमः
tataścaiva jalāhārastāvanmātraṃ vyavasthitaḥ | kālaṃ sa vāyubhakṣaśca tataścaivāyutaṃ samāḥ sūta uvāca | atha dṛṣṭvā tapaḥśaktiṃ tasya tāṃ tridaśādhipaḥ | pātāyaṣyati māṃ nūnameṣa sthānānnṛpottamaḥ
ثم عاش على الماء وحده للمدة نفسها؛ وبعد ذلك اقتات بالهواء، وهكذا مضت عشرةُ آلافِ سنة. قال سوتا: لما رأى سيدُ الآلهة عِظَمَ قوةِ تَقَشُّفِه، قال في نفسه: «لا ريب أن هذا الملكَ الأسمى سيُسقِطني من مقامي».
Sūta
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Purāṇic frame)
Scene: A lone ascetic-king in severe penance: first with a water-pot, later motionless in wind-sustenance; the sky darkens with tapas-heat while Indra watches anxiously from a cloud-throne.
Tapas is portrayed as a force that can rival even divine authority, urging humility and spiritual seriousness.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative sequence.
Extreme austerities are listed: jalāhāra (water-only) and vāyubhakṣa (air-only) for vast periods.