Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 48
ईदृशोऽयं प्रभावस्ते कथं लब्धो महामते । तपसा वापि तीव्रेण किमु तीर्थनिषेवणात्
īdṛśo'yaṃ prabhāvaste kathaṃ labdho mahāmate | tapasā vāpi tīvreṇa kimu tīrthaniṣevaṇāt
おお大いなる心の人よ、いかにしてこのような比類なき霊威を得たのか。激しいタパス（苦行）によるのか、それとも聖なるティールタ（巡礼地）への篤い奉仕によるのか。
Unspecified interlocutor (listener addressing Vāmadeva)
Scene: A seeker respectfully questions a venerable sage about the source of his extraordinary radiance—tapas, or the power gained by serving tīrthas; the setting suggests an āśrama with subtle sacred markers (water-pot, kuśa, rudrākṣa).
FAQs
True spiritual influence is questioned as arising from dharmic sources—especially tapas (austerity) and tīrtha-sevā (reverent engagement with holy places).
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it generally praises the purifying power of pilgrimage and holy-site observance.
No direct ritual is prescribed; the verse contrasts two classic sources of merit: severe tapas and tīrtha-niṣevaṇa.