Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29
स तारकपुरस्यापि पश्यनृद्धि मनुत्तमाम् । विसिष्मिये महासेनः प्रशशंस तपोऽस्य च
sa tārakapurasyāpi paśyanṛddhi manuttamām | visiṣmiye mahāsenaḥ praśaśaṃsa tapo'sya ca
Seeing the surpassing prosperity of Tārakapura, Mahāsena marveled—and he praised the tapas, the austerity that had brought it about.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Tārakapura (mythic)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Skanda (Mahāsena) surveys the magnificent, opulent Tārakapura—towers, jeweled gates, bustling prosperity—then his expression shifts to thoughtful admiration of the tapas behind it.
FAQs
Tapas is acknowledged as a real source of power and prosperity—yet it must be aligned with dharma, or it becomes a cause of conflict.
Tārakapura is mentioned as a city (not presented here as a tīrtha); the verse is narrative rather than pilgrimage-focused.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse underscores the principle of tapas as a potent spiritual force.