Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2
तत्र कुण्डं महादेवि ह्यष्टपुष्करसंज्ञितम् । सर्व पापहरं देवि दुष्प्राप्यमकृतात्मभिः
tatra kuṇḍaṃ mahādevi hyaṣṭapuṣkarasaṃjñitam | sarva pāpaharaṃ devi duṣprāpyamakṛtātmabhiḥ
അവിടെ, ഹേ മഹാദേവി, ‘അഷ്ടപുഷ്കര’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഒരു പുണ്യകുണ്ഡം ഉണ്ട്. ഹേ ദേവി, അത് സർവ്വപാപഹരമാണ്; എന്നാൽ അസംയതസ്വഭാവികൾക്ക് അതി ദുർലഭം.
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Aṣṭapuṣkara-kuṇḍa
Type: kund
Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)
Scene: A luminous sacred pond ringed by tīrtha-steps and bilva/ashoka trees; pilgrims with folded hands approach while a few figures symbolizing ‘akṛtātman’ turn away, unable to enter; subtle aura of sin being washed away in the water’s shimmer.
FAQs
Sacred waters purify, but access to their full spiritual fruit is linked to inner refinement and self-discipline.
Aṣṭapuṣkara Kuṇḍa, a sin-removing sacred pond within/near Puṣkarāraṇya in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa itinerary.
The verse implies tirtha-sevana (approaching the kuṇḍa for purification, typically through snāna), while stressing eligibility through cultivated conduct.