Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86
तपसाविष्टमनसो न पश्यंति वृषध्वजम् । सहस्रशोऽथ शतशो बहुशोऽथ य एव हि
tapasāviṣṭamanaso na paśyaṃti vṛṣadhvajam | sahasraśo'tha śataśo bahuśo'tha ya eva hi
L’esprit saisi par leurs austérités, ils ne voient pas Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva dont l’étendard porte le taureau), bien qu’il soit présent par milliers, par centaines, en d’innombrables formes.
Narrator (contextual voice within the adhyāya)
Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: Ascetics absorbed in severe tapas sit motionless, eyes half-closed; behind and around them, Śiva as Vṛṣadhvaja appears in multiple subtle manifestations—some luminous, some shadow-like—yet unnoticed by the tapasvins.
FAQs
Austerity without right insight can still veil the divine; true seeing requires humility and correct understanding of Śiva’s pervasive presence.
Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa provides the sacred context where the text teaches how to perceive and honor Vṛṣadhvaja.
No explicit prescription; it implies that tapas should be joined with devotion and discernment to truly ‘see’ the Lord.