Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37
प्रयागादपि गंगाया गयायाश्च विशेषतः । कूपेस्मिन्नधिकं स्नानं मया नारद कीर्तितम्
prayāgādapi gaṃgāyā gayāyāśca viśeṣataḥ | kūpesminnadhikaṃ snānaṃ mayā nārada kīrtitam
«Même au-delà de Prayāga, du Gaṅgā et, tout particulièrement, de Gayā, le bain dans ce puits est supérieur. Ainsi te l’ai-je proclamé, ô Nārada.»
Devī (addressing Nārada)
Tirtha: Kūpa-tīrtha (sacred well) of the Gupta-kṣetra under Kumāreśa/Guha’s lordship
Type: kund
Listener: Nārada
Scene: A sanctified stone-lined well within a forested or temple precinct; sages and pilgrims approach with water pots; subtle divine radiance rises from the well as Nārada listens to the proclamation of its superiority over Prayāga, Gaṅgā, and Gayā.
FAQs
Purāṇas often rank tīrthas to guide pilgrims toward especially potent sites for purification.
Rudrāṇī-kūpa, declared superior for bathing even compared to Prayāga, Gaṅgā, and Gayā.
Snāna (bathing) in the well as a high-merit pilgrimage act.