Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26
पञ्चाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे वर्षास्वाकाशमाश्रितः । जलाश्रयश्च हेमंत एकः स्यात्पुरुषः क्षितौ
pañcāgnisādhako grīṣme varṣāsvākāśamāśritaḥ | jalāśrayaśca hemaṃta ekaḥ syātpuruṣaḥ kṣitau
Auf Erden mag es einen Mann geben, der im Sommer die Askese der «fünf Feuer» übt, während der Regenzeit unter freiem Himmel verweilt und im Winter im Wasser lebt—und so strenge Disziplinen durch die Jahreszeiten vollzieht.
Nārada
Tirtha: Viṣṇupadī (implied as comparator in surrounding verses)
Scene: An ascetic performs pañcāgni in blazing summer—four fires around and the sun overhead; in monsoon he stands under open sky; in winter he remains immersed in water—showing seasonal austerities.
FAQs
Even the most rigorous austerities are presented as comparable to the grace available through an exalted tīrtha.
The verse sets up a comparison that culminates in Viṣṇupadī-tīrtha’s excellence in the following shloka.
Severe tapas: pañcāgni in summer, sky-exposure in monsoon, and water-dwelling in winter.