Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31
प्रायोपवेशनं कृत्वा ह्युपवासपरो नरः । यस्त्यजेन्मानवः प्राणान्न स भूयोऽभिजायते
prāyopaveśanaṃ kṛtvā hyupavāsaparo naraḥ | yastyajenmānavaḥ prāṇānna sa bhūyo'bhijāyate
Ayant entrepris le prāyopaveśana (vœu de jeûner jusqu’à la mort), tout entier voué au jeûne, si l’homme abandonne alors ses souffles vitaux, il ne renaît plus.
Sūta (contextual continuity)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (implied)
Type: kshetra
Scene: An ascetic devotee seated in a tīrtha precinct near a Śiva shrine, performing prāyopaveśana with calm gaze, prayer beads, and attendants offering water and bilva leaves; the atmosphere is serene and otherworldly.
FAQs
A final, disciplined vow undertaken with religious intent is portrayed as a means to end rebirth.
The verse continues the same pilgrimage setting; it emphasizes the vow’s fruit rather than naming a new tīrtha.
Prāyopaveśana—undertaking a regulated fast culminating in relinquishing the body (presented here as a religious observance).