Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 7
तत्र तीर्थे नृपश्रेष्ठ देवी नारायणी पुरा । अद्यापि तपते घोरं तपो यावत्किलार्बुदम्
tatra tīrthe nṛpaśreṣṭha devī nārāyaṇī purā | adyāpi tapate ghoraṃ tapo yāvatkilārbudam
ആ തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ, ഹേ നൃപശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ദേവി നാരായണീ പൂർവ്വം ഘോരതപസ് അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചു; ഇന്നും അർബുദകാലം വരെ ഉഗ്രതപസ് ചെയ്യുന്നു.
Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual continuation)
Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: A king addressed as ‘nṛpaśreṣṭha’
Scene: Goddess Nārāyaṇī seated in fierce tapas near the river, surrounded by a ring of fire-like aura; time symbolized by vast cycles (stars, kalpa motifs) indicating ‘arbuda’ duration.
FAQs
The sanctity of a place is reinforced by divine presence and long-standing austerity, inviting pilgrims to approach with reverence and discipline.
The Karkaṭeśvara tīrtha on the Narmadā’s northern bank (Adhyāya 137).
Tapas (austerity) is emphasized; the goddess is presented as the exemplar of sustained spiritual practice at the site.