Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 169
अस्त्राणि तेजांसि धनानि योधा यशो बलं वीरपराक्रमाश्च । सत्त्वौजसान्यंग बभूवुरेषां देवासुराणां तपसः परं तु नः
astrāṇi tejāṃsi dhanāni yodhā yaśo balaṃ vīraparākramāśca | sattvaujasānyaṃga babhūvureṣāṃ devāsurāṇāṃ tapasaḥ paraṃ tu naḥ
Senjata, cahaya kemuliaan, harta, para kesatria, kemasyhuran, kekuatan, dan keberanian gagah—bahkan keteguhan serta daya hidup mereka—tampak nyata; namun bagi para Dewa dan Asura, tapa (tapas) tetaplah daya tertinggi yang melampaui segalanya.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Listener: Pārtha (as addressed in the passage)
Scene: A symbolic montage: heaps of weapons, banners, treasures, and warriors fade behind a radiant ascetic flame labeled ‘tapas’—showing that inner austerity outshines external power for both devas and asuras.
FAQs
Outer power—arms, wealth, and fame—matters, but tapas (disciplined spiritual force) is presented as the supreme source of true supremacy.
No tīrtha is named; the verse emphasizes a universal dharmic principle about tapas.
No specific rite is prescribed, but the verse elevates tapas (austerity/discipline) as the highest practice.