Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17
एवं च वसते तत्र जनः स्वर्गे तपोधन । यावत्पुण्यक्षयस्तावत्पश्चात्पातमवाप्नुयात्
evaṃ ca vasate tatra janaḥ svarge tapodhana | yāvatpuṇyakṣayastāvatpaścātpātamavāpnuyāt
Ainsi, ô trésor d’austérité, les êtres demeurent au ciel seulement tant que leur mérite subsiste ; lorsque ce mérite s’épuise, ensuite ils chutent (de cet état).
Devadūta
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Tapodhana / muni (addressee)
Scene: A didactic vision: souls enjoying svarga in radiant vimānas while an unseen counter of merit diminishes; as puṇya ends, the radiance fades and a downward path appears, underscoring impermanence.
FAQs
Heaven is not final liberation: it lasts only until puṇya is spent, teaching impermanence and the need for a higher, Śiva-centered goal.
No single earthly tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s broader māhātmya by steering the listener toward lasting spiritual attainment.
No explicit rite is given; the verse provides doctrinal guidance about karma’s finite results.