Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 45
रुद्रस्यापि वयं मान्याः कीदृशं ते तपो वद । विषमस्थं यत्र विप्रं म्रियमाणमुपेक्षसि
rudrasyāpi vayaṃ mānyāḥ kīdṛśaṃ te tapo vada | viṣamasthaṃ yatra vipraṃ mriyamāṇamupekṣasi
ഞങ്ങൾ റുദ്രനോടും മാന്യരാണ്; പറയുക, നിന്റെ തപസ്സ് എങ്ങനെയാണിത്—കഷ്ടത്തിൽപ്പെട്ട് നിന്റെ മുന്നിൽ മരണമടയുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ നീ അവഗണിക്കുന്നു?
Vipra (brāhmaṇa)
Listener: Acalā/that ascetic-goddess figure
Scene: A brāhmaṇa in peril, weakened and near death, rebukes the powerful ascetic/goddess figure: ‘What tapas is this that ignores me?’ Rudra’s presence is implied as cosmic witness.
FAQs
Austerity without compassion is hollow; dharma demands protecting and aiding those in distress.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.
Tapas (austerity) is discussed ethically—measured by compassion and duty rather than mere self-mortification.