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
王よ、戦士のダルマに従い身を捨てる凡夫は――七千年水中にあって死するにせよ、十二の火のただ中で死するにせよ――シャクラ（インドラ）の客となる栄誉を得る。
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.