Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40
उपवासो बलाज्जातो ह्यन्नाभावाद्वयोरपि । पद्मैरेभिर्हरः पूज्यो द्वाभ्यामेवाद्य निश्चयम्
upavāso balājjāto hyannābhāvādvayorapi | padmairebhirharaḥ pūjyo dvābhyāmevādya niścayam
This fast has arisen of necessity, for food is lacking for us both. Therefore today, without doubt, let us two worship Hara (Śiva) with these very lotuses.
Deductive (wife’s dharmic resolve within the narrative)
Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (context)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A poor couple, hungry yet resolute, offers gathered lotuses together to Hara, turning their lack of food into a shared act of worship.
FAQs
Even hardship can be transformed into vrata when directed toward devotion; sincerity matters more than abundance.
The Arbuda sacred region where Śiva’s worship is narrated as especially meritorious.
Upavāsa (fasting) and worship of Hara with lotus flowers by the couple together.