Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14
किं जलं प्रविशाम्यद्य किं वा दीप्तं हुताशनम् । भक्षयामि विषं किं वा कथं स्यान्मृत्युरद्य मे
kiṃ jalaṃ praviśāmyadya kiṃ vā dīptaṃ hutāśanam | bhakṣayāmi viṣaṃ kiṃ vā kathaṃ syānmṛtyuradya me
„Soll ich heute in die Fluten gehen? Oder mich in das lodernde Feuer werfen? Soll ich Gift schlucken? Auf welche Weise mag der Tod heute zu mir kommen?“
Narrator (contextual; the afflicted person’s despair voiced within the narration)
Type: river
Scene: The man stands at a riverbank or near a blazing pyre/fire, torn between jumping into water or fire; his posture is unstable, hands outstretched, eyes frantic; the elements loom large.
FAQs
Extreme despair is portrayed as a spiritual low-point; Purāṇic Māhātmyas typically redirect such anguish toward life-affirming remedies—penance, prayer, and sacred pilgrimage.
No site is specified in this verse; it functions as narrative setup for the tīrtha-based resolution that follows in the chapter.
None; the verse lists self-destructive options to underscore the need for dharmic alternatives (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) later emphasized in Māhātmya sections.