Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 10
देवा ऊचुः । भगवन्भार्गवे वंशे जातः कोऽपि महाद्युतिः । अग्निरूपेण सर्वं स ददाह वसुधातलम् । कृतो यत्नः पुराऽस्माभिस्तद्विनाशाय सत्तम । जलेन वृद्धिमायाति ततो नो भयमागतम्
devā ūcuḥ | bhagavanbhārgave vaṃśe jātaḥ ko'pi mahādyutiḥ | agnirūpeṇa sarvaṃ sa dadāha vasudhātalam | kṛto yatnaḥ purā'smābhistadvināśāya sattama | jalena vṛddhimāyāti tato no bhayamāgatam
Para dewa berkata: “Wahai Bhagavan, dalam garis keturunan Bhārgava telah muncul seseorang yang bercahaya agung. Dalam wujud api ia membakar seluruh permukaan bumi. Wahai yang terbaik di antara yang saleh, dahulu kami telah berupaya membinasakannya; namun ia justru bertambah kuat oleh air—maka ketakutan menimpa kami.”
Devas
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and ṛṣis (contextual)
Scene: Devas address Brahmā: a radiant, terrifying Bhārgava ‘fire-being’ is described; in the background, symbolic earth scorched, and rain feeding flames—an impossible paradox illustrated as water turning to fuel.
FAQs
Unchecked power—even when born of tapas—must be guided by dharma; cosmic order is maintained through higher counsel and restraint.
Prabhāsakṣetra is the narrative frame; the episode functions as part of its māhātmya tradition within the Skanda Purāṇa.
No direct rite is prescribed; the verse references Agniṣṭoma-type sacrifices only in the next passage as endangered due to devastation.