Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40
रुद्रस्त्रिशूलमुद्यम्य भैरवो ह्यऽभवत्तदा । निवारितो गिरिजया वधात्तस्माच्छिवः स्वयम् । भिक्षां तस्मै ददौ वाचा अग्नये जातवेदसे
rudrastriśūlamudyamya bhairavo hya'bhavattadā | nivārito girijayā vadhāttasmācchivaḥ svayam | bhikṣāṃ tasmai dadau vācā agnaye jātavedase
Rudra mengangkat trisula-Nya, lalu pada saat itu menjadi Bhairava. Namun Girijā menahan Śiva daripada memukul. Kemudian Śiva sendiri, dengan sabda-Nya, mengurniakan sedekah suci kepada Agni, Jātavedas yang maha mengetahui.
Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (narration to the sages, per Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)
Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (Bhairava/Devī mediation motif)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Rudra raises the trident and becomes Bhairava; Girijā steps in, restraining him. Śiva then grants alms to Agni—by a mere utterance—transforming wrath into grace.
FAQs
Divine power is tempered by compassion: even fierce wrath (Bhairava) is restrained for dharmic resolution.
The Kedārakhaṇḍa context frames the episode within Kedāra’s sacred Śaiva milieu.
Bhikṣā/dāna is central; the verse highlights that a gift may be sanctioned even ‘by word’ (vācā) as divine authorization.