Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2
ततो मुखात्तस्य घना महोल्बणा निश्चेरुरिन्द्रायुधतुल्यरूपाः । घोराः पयोदा जगदन्धकारं कुर्वन्त ईशानवरप्रयुक्ताः
tato mukhāttasya ghanā maholbaṇā niścerurindrāyudhatulyarūpāḥ | ghorāḥ payodā jagadandhakāraṃ kurvanta īśānavaraprayuktāḥ
Alors, de sa bouche jaillirent des nuées épaisses et terribles, aux formes pareilles à l’arc d’Indra. Ces effroyables nuages de pluie, mus par la grâce d’Īśāna, répandirent les ténèbres sur l’univers.
Śrī Markaṇḍeya
Listener: Kingly interlocutor (continuation)
Scene: From the mouth of a vast cosmic form, enormous thunderclouds billow forth; rainbows arc within them like Indra’s bow; the universe below is swallowed in shadow, hinting at imminent rains and renewal.
FAQs
Cosmic processes operate under divine governance; even destruction and renewal move by the Lord’s sanction, reminding one to align with dharma.
The Revā Khaṇḍa context glorifies Narmadā, but this verse specifically depicts the pralaya-clouds rather than a localized tīrtha.
No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes divine agency (Īśāna’s boon) behind cosmic events.