Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 35
चत्वरेषु दुरारोहः पर्वते कुरवस्तथा । निर्झरेषु प्रवाहाख्यो माणिभद्रो निधिष्वपि
catvareṣu durārohaḥ parvate kuravastathā | nirjhareṣu pravāhākhyo māṇibhadro nidhiṣvapi
ചത്വരങ്ങളിൽ അദ്ദേഹം ‘ദുരാരോഹൻ’; പർവതങ്ങളിൽ ‘കുരവൻ’. നീർച്ചാട്ടങ്ങളിൽ ‘പ്രവാഹാഖ്യൻ’യും, നിധികളിലും ‘മാണിഭദ്രൻ’യും ആയി നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Catuṣpatha (crossroads) / Parvata-sthala / Nirjhara-tīrtha / Nidhi-sthāna
Type: ghat
Scene: A pilgrim at a four-way crossroads meets Durāroha, a hard-to-approach guardian; then a mountain ridge with Kurava standing sentinel; a cascading waterfall where Pravāhākhya appears within the spray; and a subterranean vault where Māṇibhadra guards glittering treasures.
FAQs
Guardianship extends to risky thresholds (crossroads, mountains, torrents) and to wealth itself, urging reverence and restraint.
No single site is named; the verse sacralizes common pilgrimage terrains and liminal points.
Invoke the appropriate guardian-name when approaching crossings, mountain paths, waterfalls, or places associated with hidden wealth.