Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89
स्वयं गृहीत्वा नियमं यस्त्यजेदजितेंद्रियः । तं प्रापय दुराधर्षं बहुभ्रमरदंशके
svayaṃ gṛhītvā niyamaṃ yastyajedajiteṃdriyaḥ | taṃ prāpaya durādharṣaṃ bahubhramaradaṃśake
ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളെ ജയിക്കാതെ സ്വയം വ്രതം സ്വീകരിക്കുകയും പിന്നീട് അത് ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവനെ, വണ്ടുകൾ കുത്തുന്ന നരകത്തിലേക്ക് അയക്കുക.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Scene: A vow-breaker is driven toward a tormenting grove where swarms of bees sting relentlessly; the figure shields his face, while Yama-dūtas point toward the buzzing mass, symbolizing the ‘many stings’ of consequences from many small lapses.
FAQs
A vow is sacred; abandoning observances due to uncontrolled senses is treated as a serious breach of dharma with painful results.
The Kāśīkhaṇḍa context elevates Kāśī as the sacred setting for dharma and liberation teachings, though this verse itself is ethical rather than topographical.
The implied prescription is steadfast maintenance of one’s niyama/vrata once undertaken.