Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 12
युवा त्वं दृश्यसेऽद्यापि वर्षविंशतिरेव च । तदाचक्ष्व हि मे सर्वं तपसः कारणं महत्
yuvā tvaṃ dṛśyase'dyāpi varṣaviṃśatireva ca | tadācakṣva hi me sarvaṃ tapasaḥ kāraṇaṃ mahat
«Tu parais encore jeune, à peine vingt ans. Dis-moi donc tout : quelle est la grande raison de ton tapas, de ton austérité ?»
Śiva (Īśvara) (continued)
Tirtha: Revā-khaṇḍa tapas-sthala (unnamed)
Listener: Tapas-performing figure (Dānava/ascetic)
Scene: Śiva observes the youthful ascetic closely, indicating ‘twenty years’; the ascetic’s face is young yet stern, surrounded by austerity implements; the moment pauses before the revelation of motive.
FAQs
Spiritual practice is evaluated by intention; the Divine invites truthful disclosure of one’s inner aim.
No specific tīrtha is named; the Revā Khaṇḍa context frames the episode.
None; the verse is a direct inquiry about the cause of austerity.