Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14
किं जलं प्रविशाम्यद्य किं वा दीप्तं हुताशनम् । भक्षयामि विषं किं वा कथं स्यान्मृत्युरद्य मे
kiṃ jalaṃ praviśāmyadya kiṃ vā dīptaṃ hutāśanam | bhakṣayāmi viṣaṃ kiṃ vā kathaṃ syānmṛtyuradya me
« Dois-je entrer dans les eaux aujourd'hui ? Ou me jeter dans le feu ardent ? Dois-je avaler du poison ? De quelle manière la mort pourrait-elle venir à moi aujourd'hui ? »
Narrator (contextual; the afflicted person’s despair voiced within the narration)
Type: river
Scene: The man stands at a riverbank or near a blazing pyre/fire, torn between jumping into water or fire; his posture is unstable, hands outstretched, eyes frantic; the elements loom large.
FAQs
Extreme despair is portrayed as a spiritual low-point; Purāṇic Māhātmyas typically redirect such anguish toward life-affirming remedies—penance, prayer, and sacred pilgrimage.
No site is specified in this verse; it functions as narrative setup for the tīrtha-based resolution that follows in the chapter.
None; the verse lists self-destructive options to underscore the need for dharmic alternatives (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) later emphasized in Māhātmya sections.