ततश्चैव जलाहारस्तावन्मात्रं व्यवस्थितः । कालं स वायुभक्षश्च ततश्चैवायुतं समाः सूत उवाच । अथ दृष्ट्वा तपःशक्तिं तस्य तां त्रिदशाधिपः । पातायष्यति मां नूनमेष स्थानान्नृपोत्तमः
tataścaiva jalāhārastāvanmātraṃ vyavasthitaḥ | kālaṃ sa vāyubhakṣaśca tataścaivāyutaṃ samāḥ sūta uvāca | atha dṛṣṭvā tapaḥśaktiṃ tasya tāṃ tridaśādhipaḥ | pātāyaṣyati māṃ nūnameṣa sthānānnṛpottamaḥ
Puis il ne vécut que d’eau pendant une durée égale; ensuite il se soutint d’air, et cela durant dix mille ans. Sūta dit : Voyant l’immense puissance de son ascèse, le seigneur des dieux pensa : « Assurément ce roi suprême me fera choir de ma position. »
Sūta
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Purāṇic frame)
Scene: A lone ascetic-king in severe penance: first with a water-pot, later motionless in wind-sustenance; the sky darkens with tapas-heat while Indra watches anxiously from a cloud-throne.
Tapas is portrayed as a force that can rival even divine authority, urging humility and spiritual seriousness.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative sequence.
Extreme austerities are listed: jalāhāra (water-only) and vāyubhakṣa (air-only) for vast periods.