Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42
वेदिकोपरि विन्यस्तां यथैव शशिनः कलाम् । स देवस्तां निरीक्ष्याथ बटुर्भूत्वाथ तत्क्षणात्
vedikopari vinyastāṃ yathaiva śaśinaḥ kalām | sa devastāṃ nirīkṣyātha baṭurbhūtvātha tatkṣaṇāt
Placée sur la plateforme de l’autel telle le croissant de lune, le Dieu la contempla; et, à l’instant même, il prit la forme d’un jeune ascète (baṭu).
Lomaśa (continuing narration)
Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedārakṣetra (tapas-vedikā locale within the kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Inquirer(s) within the māhātmya discourse
Scene: Pārvatī is shown poised upon a ritual altar-platform, luminous like a crescent moon; Śiva gazes and instantly becomes a young ascetic (baṭu), initiating a concealed approach.
FAQs
Śiva’s līlā includes taking humble forms to engage, test, or instruct—divinity can appear in unexpected guises.
The episode unfolds in Kedārakhaṇḍa, reinforcing Kedāra’s sacred atmosphere where Śiva’s presence and līlā are vividly narrated.
No direct prescription; the verse alludes to a vedikā (altar/platform), suggesting a ritual setting without specifying a rite.