Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 74
अथवा स कथं मेरुस्तथोच्चैः स्पर्द्धते मया । भूमेर्भारभृतःप्रायो भवंति भ्रांति भूमयः
athavā sa kathaṃ merustathoccaiḥ sparddhate mayā | bhūmerbhārabhṛtaḥprāyo bhavaṃti bhrāṃti bhūmayaḥ
“Atau, bagaimana mungkin Meru yang setinggi itu dapat bersaing denganku pada ketinggian demikian? Mereka yang memikul beban bumi, kebanyakannya menjadi punca kekeliruan dan khayal.”
Skanda (narrating/quoting; deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Meru (symbolic); Kāśī (frame)
Type: peak
Listener: Ṛṣi audience (contextual)
Scene: A figure boasts before the towering Meru, but the ground beneath appears to swirl like a mirage—symbolizing ‘bhrānti-bhūmi’; the earth is shown as heavy, carried by cosmic beings, while the devotee’s pride distorts perception.
FAQs
Anxiety swings between inferiority and inflated pride; steadiness comes from dharmic discernment and divine refuge.
The chapter’s arc is Kāśī-centered, culminating in seeking Viśveśa as the stabilizing refuge beyond भ्रम (confusion).
None.