Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19
ईश्वर उवाच । वस्त्रापथस्य क्षेत्रस्य प्रभावं प्रथमं शृणु । पश्चाद्भवस्य माहात्म्यं शृणु त्वं च वरानने
īśvara uvāca | vastrāpathasya kṣetrasya prabhāvaṃ prathamaṃ śṛṇu | paścādbhavasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇu tvaṃ ca varānane
ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ആദ്യം വസ്ത്രാപഥ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിന്റെ പ്രഭാവം കേൾക്കുക; പിന്നെ, ഹേ വരാനനേ, അവിടെ ഭവൻ (ശിവൻ)ന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യവും കേൾക്കുക.
Śiva (Īśvara)
Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Varānanā (fair-faced one; likely Pārvatī/Devī in Śaiva dialogue framing, depending on recension)
Scene: Īśvara begins instruction, addressing the listener as ‘varānane’, promising first the glory of Vastrāpatha-kṣetra and then Bhava’s greatness.
FAQs
A tīrtha’s glory is twofold—its kṣetra-prabhāva (sacred potency) and the Deity’s līlā/māhātmya; both should be heard with devotion.
Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa context.
Hearing (śravaṇa) of the māhātmya is itself implied as a meritorious act, though no specific rite is detailed in this verse.