Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 115
मरणं तद्विनिर्द्दिष्टं न नाशः परमार्थतः । महातमःप्रविष्टस्य च्छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु
maraṇaṃ tadvinirddiṣṭaṃ na nāśaḥ paramārthataḥ | mahātamaḥpraviṣṭasya cchidyamāneṣu marmasu
This is what is called “death”: not annihilation in the ultimate sense. It is the state of one who has entered great darkness, as the vital points are being cut and broken.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A dying person on a simple bed; the room darkens into a vast blackness (mahā-tamas) while subtle ‘marmas’ are shown as fading points of light; in the darkness, a small radiant liṅga or the syllable ‘ॐ’ remains as the sole lamp.
FAQs
Death is a transition marked by suffering and obscuration, but the self is not ultimately destroyed.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on metaphysical clarification about death.
None; the emphasis is doctrinal—understanding death correctly to cultivate detachment and dharma.