Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20
सुहृदय उवाच । स्नातव्यं तीर्थमुख्येषु सत्यमेतन्न संशयः । चरेषु किं तु संविश्य स्थावरेषु बहिः स्थितः
suhṛdaya uvāca | snātavyaṃ tīrthamukhyeṣu satyametanna saṃśayaḥ | careṣu kiṃ tu saṃviśya sthāvareṣu bahiḥ sthitaḥ
ಸುಹೃದಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಮುಖ್ಯ ತೀರ್ಥಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು ಎಂಬುದು ಸತ್ಯ, ಸಂಶಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಹರಿಯುವ ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತ್ರ ಒಳಗೆ ಇಳಿದು ಸ್ನಾನ ಯುಕ್ತ; ನಿಂತ ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೊರಗೇ ನಿಲ್ಲಬೇಕು.
Suhṛdaya
Type: tirtha
Scene: Suhṛdaya instructs with calm authority: one side shows a flowing river where pilgrims enter; the other shows a still temple tank where pilgrims remain on steps, scooping water externally.
FAQs
Dharma is nuanced: tīrtha-bathing is praised, but method and setting (flowing vs stagnant water) matter.
Not specified; the verse teaches general tīrtha procedure applicable across sacred geographies.
Bathe in chief tīrthas; enter flowing waters, but for still waters follow an outside-bathing protocol.