Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15
तामेव प्रार्थयामास बलेन महता वृतः । भार्या भव त्वं मे भीरु भुंक्ष्व भोगान्मनोरमान् । एतत्तपो महाभागे विरुद्धं यौवनस्य ते
tāmeva prārthayāmāsa balena mahatā vṛtaḥ | bhāryā bhava tvaṃ me bhīru bhuṃkṣva bhogānmanoramān | etattapo mahābhāge viruddhaṃ yauvanasya te
Entouré d’une grande puissance, il la supplia, elle seule : «Deviens mon épouse, ô timide ; jouis avec moi de délices charmants. Ô dame fortunée, cette austérité contredit ta jeunesse.»
Mahiṣa (Mahiṣāsura), addressing the sādhvī (virtuous maiden)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A threatening proposal: the asura, backed by an armed retinue, addresses the solitary sādhvī; she appears composed yet endangered, embodying tapas against coercive power.
FAQs
Austerity and vows are often challenged by power and pleasure; steadfastness in vrata is portrayed as true strength.
Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the sādhvī’s tapas becomes central to the māhātmya narrative.
No formal rite is prescribed; the verse highlights the practice of tapas and the implied obligation to protect one’s vrata.