Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 48
यावन्मरणमप्येति तावदप्सु स्थिरो भव
yāvanmaraṇamapyeti tāvadapsu sthiro bhava
Demeure ferme dans les eaux, et persévère ainsi jusqu’à ce que la mort elle-même s’approche.
Bṛhaspati (deduced; same admonitory voice continuing in sequence)
Tirtha: Kedāra-jala (Kedāra waters)
Type: kund
Scene: A lone penitent stands motionless in a cold sacred river, hands in añjali, as twilight falls over Kedāra’s peaks; the waterline and breath mist convey endurance until death-near.
FAQs
True penance is depicted as unwavering endurance—holding to a discipline even under extreme hardship.
The Kedāra-khaṇḍa milieu frames the teaching, but this line emphasizes the penitential act (staying in water) more than naming a particular tīrtha.
A severe austerity involving remaining in water (apsu sthiraḥ) is prescribed as a form of penance.