Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52
स्वशक्त्या चैव कार्याणि रागद्वेषविवर्जितैः । वांछितव्यं फलं चैव सर्वेषामेव पुत्रिके । ततः सिद्धिमवाप्नोति या सदा मनसि स्थिता
svaśaktyā caiva kāryāṇi rāgadveṣavivarjitaiḥ | vāṃchitavyaṃ phalaṃ caiva sarveṣāmeva putrike | tataḥ siddhimavāpnoti yā sadā manasi sthitā
Tout cela doit être entrepris selon sa propre force, sans attachement ni aversion. Et, ô ma fille, le fruit désiré par tous doit être recherché ; alors on obtient l’accomplissement qui demeure à jamais établi dans l’esprit.
Bhartṛyajña
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard Sūta frame; not explicit in this verse)
Scene: A teacher-elder addressing a young woman (‘putrike’), gesturing toward a simple ritual setting; the emphasis is on calm composure and restrained senses rather than spectacle.
FAQs
Austerity must be proportionate and non-extreme, performed without rāga-dveṣa; the true ‘fruit’ is inner steadiness culminating in siddhi.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides universal guidance on how to practice tapas within a tīrtha-centered discourse.
A general rule: undertake disciplines within one’s capacity and with equanimity (freedom from attachment and aversion), aiming at the intended spiritual fruit.