Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1
सूत उवाच । अन्धकोऽपि परां विद्यां ज्ञात्वा शुक्रार्जितां तदा । केलीश्वर्याः प्रसादं च भक्तिजं बलवृद्धिदम्
sūta uvāca | andhako'pi parāṃ vidyāṃ jñātvā śukrārjitāṃ tadā | kelīśvaryāḥ prasādaṃ ca bhaktijaṃ balavṛddhidam
Sūta berkata: Kemudian Andhaka pun, setelah mengetahui vidyā tertinggi yang diperoleh melalui Śukra, menerima pula anugerah (prasāda) Kelīśvarī—lahir dari bhakti dan menumbuhkan kekuatan—sehingga ia pun menjadi berdaya.
Sūta
Tirtha: Kelīśvarī (prasāda granting bala-vṛddhi)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Andhaka receives esoteric vidyā from Śukra and simultaneously gains Kelīśvarī’s grace; a scene of initiation: Śukra as guru with staff and water-pot, Andhaka in attentive posture, and the Devī’s blessing descending as light, signifying strength increase.
FAQs
Power (bala) is shown as arising not only from learning (vidyā) but also from divine grace obtained through devotion—though its moral use depends on the recipient.
This verse begins a narrative episode (Andhaka and Kailāsa-related events) within Tīrthamāhātmya; no single tīrtha is explicitly named in the verse itself.
None explicitly; the verse emphasizes vidyā (esoteric knowledge) and prasāda (divine grace) arising from bhakti.