Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 71
मम तुल्यं तपश्चक्रे शूद्रयोनावपि स्थिता । निवर्तते तु यद्येषा तपसस्तु निवर्तनम् । करोम्यद्य जगन्नाथ तदहं संशयं विना
mama tulyaṃ tapaścakre śūdrayonāvapi sthitā | nivartate tu yadyeṣā tapasastu nivartanam | karomyadya jagannātha tadahaṃ saṃśayaṃ vinā
«Bien que née d’un sein śūdra, elle a accompli des austérités égales aux miennes. Si maintenant elle se détourne de sa pénitence, alors, ô Seigneur du monde, aujourd’hui je retirerai moi aussi mes austérités, sans le moindre doute.»
Brāhmaṇī
Type: kshetra
Scene: The brāhmaṇī speaks with firm resolve, indicating her friend; Ratnāvatī stands as a humble tapasvinī despite royal birth, while the verse stresses her Śūdra birth in this line—depict as socially modest yet spiritually radiant; Śiva listens as judge of tapas.
FAQs
Spiritual effort (tapas) is honored for its sincerity, not merely for social origin; compassion motivates the devotee’s vow.
The particular tīrtha is not named in this verse; it remains within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya setting.
A vow-like resolve is stated: the speaker will cease her own tapas if her companion withdraws—highlighting solidarity in ascetic practice.