Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 21
प्रविवेश शमीगर्भमश्वत्थं तरुसत्तमम् । तत्रस्थो द्विपराज्ञा स कथितो विबुधान्प्रति
praviveśa śamīgarbhamaśvatthaṃ tarusattamam | tatrastho dviparājñā sa kathito vibudhānprati
He entered the womb of a Śamī-tree—into an Aśvattha, the finest among trees. While he remained there, the king of elephants reported this to the gods.
Pulastya
Tirtha: Arbuda-parvata tīrtha (contextual)
Type: peak
Scene: Agni, subtle and radiant, slips into the ‘womb’ of a śamī that is also described as an aśvattha; nearby, the elephant-king signals the devas, pointing to the tree as a hiding-place.
FAQs
The divine is encountered through sacred nature; trees and landscapes become carriers of hidden spiritual presence in sthala-māhātmya.
Arbuda’s sacred ecology—its revered trees and environs—forms part of the māhātmya backdrop.
No explicit rite is stated; the verse highlights sacred trees (Śamī, Aśvattha) often associated with worship and auspiciousness.