Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19
तप्यमानोपि हि तपः सुचिरं स महातपाः । यदा नाप फलं किंचिच्चुकोप च तदा भृशम्
tapyamānopi hi tapaḥ suciraṃ sa mahātapāḥ | yadā nāpa phalaṃ kiṃciccukopa ca tadā bhṛśam
ദീർഘകാലം തപസ്സു ചെയ്തിട്ടും ആ മഹാതപസ്വിക്ക് യാതൊരു ഫലവും ലഭിക്കാതിരുന്നപ്പോൾ അദ്ദേഹം അത്യന്തം ക്രുദ്ധനായി।
Skanda (deduced Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and sages
Scene: Durvāsā, gaunt from long austerities, sits amid sacred surroundings; his brows knit, aura heated, indicating anger after perceived fruitlessness.
FAQs
Austerity without inner steadiness can give rise to anger; spiritual practice must be joined with patience and purity.
The episode unfolds in the Kāśī context (Kāśīkhaṇḍa), setting the stage for Kāśī’s unique grace.
None; it describes the psychological risk (krodha) that can arise even in long tapas.