Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11
ततोऽब्रवीत्तमागत्य तां गर्तां ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः । भोभो वृक निवर्तस्व तपसोऽस्मात्सुदारुणात्
tato'bravīttamāgatya tāṃ gartāṃ brāhmaṇottamāḥ | bhobho vṛka nivartasva tapaso'smātsudāruṇāt
Alors, s’approchant de cette fosse, il dit, ô meilleurs des brāhmaṇas : «Ô Vṛka, renonce à cette austérité si terriblement rude !»
Brahmā (implied by the immediate narrative flow from the prior verse)
Type: kund
Listener: Brāhmaṇo-ttamāḥ / dvija audience (addressed)
Scene: Brahmā stands at the edge of a deep pit, addressing the unseen ascetic within; the scene balances awe with tenderness as the deity urges cessation of dreadful penance.
FAQs
Even legitimate austerity should be guided by dharma; divine grace often moderates extremes and redirects effort toward a boon or purpose.
The verse is set within a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative but does not name the tīrtha in this line; it describes the scene of tapas in a pit.
No ritual prescription; it is a narrative instruction to cease severe tapas.