Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 50
तस्मात्स्वर्गेऽथ पाताले मर्त्ये वा त्रिदशेश्वर । कुरुष्वानेनरूपेण स्थितिं मासचतुष्टयम् । येन न स्यात्प्रतिज्ञाया हानिर्मम सुरेश्वर
tasmātsvarge'tha pātāle martye vā tridaśeśvara | kuruṣvānenarūpeṇa sthitiṃ māsacatuṣṭayam | yena na syātpratijñāyā hānirmama sureśvara
Darum—sei es im Himmel, in Pātāla (der Unterwelt) oder auf Erden—o Herr der Dreißig (Götter), verweile in eben dieser Gestalt vier Monate lang, damit mein Gelübde nicht gebrochen werde, o Herr der Götter.
Unspecified in the snippet (petition addressed to Indra: Tridaśeśvara/Sureśvara)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The petitioner asks the Lord of the gods to remain in the same form for four months—whether in heaven, underworld, or earth—so the petitioner’s vow is not violated; cosmic three-tiered backdrop with Śiva central.
FAQs
Pratijñā (a vow) is sacred; when obstacles arise, one seeks righteous means and divine support to preserve dharma.
The context is the same sacred region where seasonal inaccessibility prompts this request; the narrative soon points to Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra.
A four-month observance is implied—remaining/abiding in a fixed form for four months to uphold a vow.