Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48
ईदृशोऽयं प्रभावस्ते कथं लब्धो महामते । तपसा वापि तीव्रेण किमु तीर्थनिषेवणात्
īdṛśo'yaṃ prabhāvaste kathaṃ labdho mahāmate | tapasā vāpi tīvreṇa kimu tīrthaniṣevaṇāt
O Großgesinnter, wie hast du eine so außergewöhnliche geistige Kraft erlangt? Durch strenge Tapas (Askese) oder durch hingebungsvolle Verehrung und den Dienst an heiligen Tīrthas, den Pilgerstätten?
Unspecified interlocutor (listener addressing Vāmadeva)
Scene: A seeker respectfully questions a venerable sage about the source of his extraordinary radiance—tapas, or the power gained by serving tīrthas; the setting suggests an āśrama with subtle sacred markers (water-pot, kuśa, rudrākṣa).
FAQs
True spiritual influence is questioned as arising from dharmic sources—especially tapas (austerity) and tīrtha-sevā (reverent engagement with holy places).
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it generally praises the purifying power of pilgrimage and holy-site observance.
No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse contrasts two classic sources of merit: severe tapas and tīrtha-niṣevaṇa.