Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41
तदेव प्राशनं कुर्यात्ततः कायविशुद्धये । प्रहरांते च संपूज्य अर्धनारीश्वरं ततः
tadeva prāśanaṃ kuryāttataḥ kāyaviśuddhaye | praharāṃte ca saṃpūjya ardhanārīśvaraṃ tataḥ
Dann soll man von jener geweihten Gabe kosten, zur Reinigung des Leibes. Und am Ende der Wache, nachdem man verehrt hat, soll man danach Ardhanārīśvara anbeten.
Skanda (deduced)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The devotee respectfully consumes a small portion of prasāda; later, before a striking Ardhanārīśvara image—half Śiva, half Pārvatī—final worship is offered as lamps flicker at the close of the watch.
FAQs
Purification culminates in recognizing Śiva and Śakti as one reality—worship moves from offering to non-dual unity.
The chapter is in the Tīrthamāhātmya stream; this verse emphasizes the culmination of worship rather than a particular geography.
Consume the consecrated offering (prasāda) for purification and, at the end of the prahara, worship Ardhanārīśvara.