Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3
उन्मादा ये ह्यपस्माराः पलादाश्च पिशाचकाः । देवैस्तेषामाधिपत्ये सोऽभ्यषिच्यत पावकिः
unmādā ye hyapasmārāḥ palādāśca piśācakāḥ | devaisteṣāmādhipatye so'bhyaṣicyata pāvakiḥ
Quant à ceux qu’on nomme folie (unmāda), crises semblables à l’épilepsie (apasmāra), esprits palāda et piśācas—sur eux tous, selon la volonté des dieux, Pāvaki fut consacré comme maître et gouvernant.
Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration)
Tirtha: Sarasvatī-tīra (context)
Type: ghat
Scene: A solemn consecration: Pāvaki is anointed as overlord over the troubling hosts—personified madness and seizure-spirits, palāda beings, and piśācas—while devas witness; the atmosphere shifts from eerie to regulated, as if a seal is placed upon disorder.
FAQs
Afflictive forces are not ultimate; divine order appoints higher guardians, reminding devotees to seek lawful, dharmic protection rather than fear.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the passage is moving toward the Mahī river-māhātmya later in the adhyāya.
No explicit ritual is stated here; it establishes a divine hierarchy over harmful beings, supporting later refuge/propitiation themes.