Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24
चित्रस्थो ह्यभवत्स्द्यः प्रेतराजोऽतिविह्वलः । कालरूपश्च यो नित्यं प्रजानां क्षयकारकः
citrastho hyabhavatsdyaḥ pretarājo'tivihvalaḥ | kālarūpaśca yo nityaṃ prajānāṃ kṣayakārakaḥ
तेव्हा प्रेतराज अत्यंत विह्वल होऊन जणू चित्रासारखा स्थिर झाला—जो नित्य काळरूप होऊन प्रजांचा क्षय करतो।
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Kedāra / Kedāranātha
Type: kshetra
Listener: ṛṣi-audience
Scene: Yama frozen mid-motion like a painted figure, eyes fixed, body rigid; around him, the atmosphere is unnaturally still, as if time itself paused before the king’s Śiva-realization.
FAQs
The narrative elevates devotion’s power: even Time’s agent can be rendered motionless before the sanctity of Śiva’s devotee and place.
Kedāra-kṣetra, where Yama’s normal function is dramatically checked.
None.