Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7
एवं युगेयुगे तस्य अवतारः पृथक्पृथक् । यथाकार्यानुरूपेण जायते च पुनःपुनः
evaṃ yugeyuge tasya avatāraḥ pṛthakpṛthak | yathākāryānurūpeṇa jāyate ca punaḥpunaḥ
ഇങ്ങനെ യുഗം യുഗമായി അവന്റെ അവതാരം വ്യത്യസ്തമായിരിക്കുന്നു; നിർവഹിക്കേണ്ട കര്മ്മത്തിന് അനുയോജ്യമായി അവൻ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും അവതരിക്കുന്നു.
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (doctrinal locus for recurring manifestations)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī
Scene: A wheel of time (kāla-cakra) with successive manifestations emerging from a central luminous source, each directed toward a symbolic 'task'—restoring balance, removing obstacles, protecting devotees.
FAQs
The divine responds to historical and moral conditions; avatāra is purpose-driven, restoring order and removing impediments.
Indirectly Prabhāsakṣetra, since the doctrinal explanation is given within its Māhātmya setting.
No explicit prescription; it provides theological grounding for invoking the deity in forms suited to one’s time and need.