Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31
अथवा नियमभ्रष्टस्त्यक्ष्ये चेदं कलेवरम् । मम पक्षं च कः कुर्य्यात्को मे दास्यति जीवितम्
athavā niyamabhraṣṭastyakṣye cedaṃ kalevaram | mama pakṣaṃ ca kaḥ kuryyātko me dāsyati jīvitam
അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഞാൻ വ്രതനിയമങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് തെറ്റിപ്പോയാൽ, ഈ ദേഹമുതൽ തന്നെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചേക്കാം. അപ്പോൾ എന്റെ പക്ഷം ആരെടുക്കും, എനിക്ക് ജീവൻ ആരുതരും?
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating the sage’s inner speech (deduced)
Scene: A solitary sage, weakened by austerity, pauses in anguish—hands raised in questioning—against the backdrop of a sacred coastal city, contemplating the collapse of vows and the loss of support.
FAQs
Vows and discipline are the ascetic’s lifeline; when human support fails, one must rely on dharma and divine refuge.
The Dvārakā-māhātmya setting points toward Viṣṇu’s protection manifest through Dvārakā’s sacred tīrthas.
Implicit emphasis on maintaining niyama (vowed discipline); no specific rite is described.