Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20
सुहृदय उवाच । स्नातव्यं तीर्थमुख्येषु सत्यमेतन्न संशयः । चरेषु किं तु संविश्य स्थावरेषु बहिः स्थितः
suhṛdaya uvāca | snātavyaṃ tīrthamukhyeṣu satyametanna saṃśayaḥ | careṣu kiṃ tu saṃviśya sthāvareṣu bahiḥ sthitaḥ
सुहृदय बोला—यह सत्य है, इसमें संदेह नहीं कि श्रेष्ठ तीर्थों में स्नान करना चाहिए। पर बहते जल में तो प्रवेश करके स्नान हो सकता है; स्थिर जल में बाहर रहकर ही।
Suhṛdaya
Type: tirtha
Scene: Suhṛdaya instructs with calm authority: one side shows a flowing river where pilgrims enter; the other shows a still temple tank where pilgrims remain on steps, scooping water externally.
FAQs
Dharma is nuanced: tīrtha-bathing is praised, but method and setting (flowing vs stagnant water) matter.
Not specified; the verse teaches general tīrtha procedure applicable across sacred geographies.
Bathe in chief tīrthas; enter flowing waters, but for still waters follow an outside-bathing protocol.