Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29
धर्मराजोऽपि धर्मात्मा तपस्तेपे सुदुःसहम् । न जानेऽसौ किमिच्छति देवानां पदमुत्तमम्
dharmarājo'pi dharmātmā tapastepe suduḥsaham | na jāne'sau kimicchati devānāṃ padamuttamam
ധർമ്മാത്മാവായ ധർമ്മരാജനും അത്യന്തം ദുസ്സഹമായ തപസ്സു ചെയ്തു. അവൻ എന്താണ് ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നത് എനിക്കറിയില്ല—ശയദ ദേവന്മാരിൽ ഉത്തമമായ പദവി।
Brahmā (continuing)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (implied)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Brahmā reports Dharma-rāja’s terrible austerity: a vision of Yama/Dharma seated in fierce tapas—matted hair, controlled breath, surrounded by heat-haze—while devas look concerned.
FAQs
Tapas carries immense spiritual power; even the righteous may pursue higher responsibility, prompting cosmic attention.
No explicit tirtha is cited; the focus is on the potency of austerity within the Dharmāraṇya narrative.
Tapas (austerity) is referenced generally, without detailing a specific vrata, japa, or observance.