Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55
समाः सहस्राणि तु सप्त वै जले म्रियेल्लभेद्द्वादशवह्निमध्ये । त्यजंस्तनुं शूरवृत्त्या नरेन्द्र शक्रातिथ्यं याति वै मर्त्यधर्मा
samāḥ sahasrāṇi tu sapta vai jale mriyellabheddvādaśavahnimadhye | tyajaṃstanuṃ śūravṛttyā narendra śakrātithyaṃ yāti vai martyadharmā
Wahai raja, seorang fana yang, menurut dharma ksatria, melepaskan tubuh—entah mati di dalam air selama tujuh ribu tahun, atau di tengah dua belas api—akan mencapai kehormatan sebagai tamu Śakra (Indra).
Rudra/Śiva (within the same concluding instruction block)
Listener: narendra (king)
Scene: Two juxtaposed austerity scenes: a yogin immersed in water over ages; another seated amid a ring of blazing fires; above, Indra’s celestial hall welcoming the soul as honored guest.
FAQs
Self-sacrifice aligned with one’s dharma—especially courageous, duty-bound renunciation of life—leads to exalted heavenly honor.
The verse occurs in the Bhṛgutīrtha/Bhṛgukaccha narration within Revā Khaṇḍa, framing merit in the tīrtha’s wider māhātmya.
An allusion to severe tapas-like ordeals (e.g., standing amid multiple fires) and dharma-based self-offering; it is descriptive rather than a standard injunction.