Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6
यावद्गुर्वीं चितां कृत्वा तमन्वेष्टुं समुद्यताः । तावन्नष्टं शवं तच्च ज्ञायते नैव कुत्रचित्
yāvadgurvīṃ citāṃ kṛtvā tamanveṣṭuṃ samudyatāḥ | tāvannaṣṭaṃ śavaṃ tacca jñāyate naiva kutracit
Mais dès qu’ils eurent dressé un bûcher funéraire solide et partirent à sa recherche, le cadavre avait disparu—et l’on ne put le trouver nulle part.
Sūta (contextual continuation)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A completed, heavy funeral pyre stands ready; brāhmaṇas turn back to fetch the body—only to find the spot empty. Their faces show shock and reverence; the liṅga remains steady in the background.
FAQs
The Māhātmya signals extraordinary sanctity: the devotee’s end is marked by a miracle that transcends ordinary death-ritual expectations.
The episode belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya cycle in Nāgara-khaṇḍa.
Construction of a funeral pyre (citā) for cremation is described, though the rite is interrupted by the miraculous disappearance.