Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71
अविलोकयताऽत्मात्मना विबुधादयः । किं यज्ञैः किं तपोभिश्च किमुद्योगेन कर्मणाम्
avilokayatā'tmātmanā vibudhādayaḥ | kiṃ yajñaiḥ kiṃ tapobhiśca kimudyogena karmaṇām
Ô dieux et autres êtres : sans contempler le Soi par le Soi lui-même, que gagne-t-on par les yajña, que par les austérités, et que par l’effort acharné dans les actes ?
Śiva (Sāmbā) teaching; narrated by Sūta
Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha
Type: kshetra
Listener: Vibudhādayaḥ (devas and others)
Scene: Śiva as guru gestures toward the heart/inner self; devas and sages appear introspective, some lowering eyes in meditation; ritual implements (ladles, fire-altars) lie to the side, deemphasized.
FAQs
Ritual, austerity, and action bear their highest fruit only when grounded in Self-knowledge (ātma-darśana).
Kedāra is the contextual frame; the verse presents the site’s narrative as a vehicle for liberating instruction.
No specific rite is commanded; rather, the verse evaluates yajña/tapas/karma as incomplete without inner realization.