Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2
आत्मशक्तिप्रभावेन मशकस्य यथा गजः । अन्यस्मिन्नहनि प्राप्ते विश्वामित्रेण सा नदी
ātmaśaktiprabhāvena maśakasya yathā gajaḥ | anyasminnahani prāpte viśvāmitreṇa sā nadī
„Durch die Wirkung seiner eigenen Kraft, wie eine Mücke, die zum Elefanten wird; an einem anderen Tag, als Viśvāmitra eintraf, jene Flussgöttin…“
Sūta (narration continues; implied)
Tirtha: Sarasvatī (within Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra episode)
Type: river
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (implied)
Scene: A dramatic moment: as Viśvāmitra approaches, the river’s presence swells—waters brighten and rise, hinting at imminent personification; the simile is visualized as a tiny insect silhouette transforming into a mighty elephant-shaped aura.
FAQs
Tapas and inner potency can magnify capacity dramatically, but its moral value depends on intention and dharma.
The river context points to the Sarasvatī tīrtha within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative.
None; it is a narrative transition describing power and setting.