Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 52
वसिष्ठ उवाच । न त्वां यच्छाम्यहं धेनो प्राणत्यागेऽपि संस्थिते । तद्रक्षस्व स्वयं धेनो आत्मानं मत्प्रभावतः
vasiṣṭha uvāca | na tvāṃ yacchāmyahaṃ dheno prāṇatyāge'pi saṃsthite | tadrakṣasva svayaṃ dheno ātmānaṃ matprabhāvataḥ
វសិષ્ઠបានមានព្រះវាចា៖ ឱ មេគោ, ខ្ញុំមិនប្រគល់អ្នកឡើយ ទោះបីត្រូវបោះបង់ជីវិតក៏ដោយ។ ដូច្នេះ ឱ មេគោ, ចូរការពារខ្លួនឯងដោយអំណាចរបស់អ្នក ដែលបានរឹងមាំដោយតេជៈវិញ្ញាណរបស់ខ្ញុំ។
Vasiṣṭha
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dhenu (sacred cow)
Scene: Vasiṣṭha, calm yet firm, stands beside the sacred cow, declaring he will not abandon her even at the cost of life; an aura of tapas (radiant tejas) surrounds them, foreshadowing supernatural defense.
FAQs
True dharma protects the innocent at any cost; spiritual power (tapas) stands as a shield when righteousness is challenged.
The verse is part of the Tīrthamāhātmya chapter’s narrative, but it does not explicitly name a particular tīrtha.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes protective resolve and the efficacy of tapas.