Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 93
तं खादितुं समायातः श्वाशिरस्युपरिस्थितः । नखांतरालसंलग्ना रक्षा तस्यैव पापिनः
taṃ khādituṃ samāyātaḥ śvāśirasyuparisthitaḥ | nakhāṃtarālasaṃlagnā rakṣā tasyaiva pāpinaḥ
Ketika seekor anjing datang untuk memakan mayatnya, berdiri di atas kepalanya, suatu azimat pelindung—terselit di celah kuku jarinya—menjadi perlindungan bagi si pendosa itu sendiri.
Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)
Listener: Brāhmaṇas
Scene: A corpse lies on the ground; a dog approaches to devour it. Close-up: the dead man’s hand with a small charm wedged between fingernails, glowing subtly as a protective force.
FAQs
Even a small trace of sacred protection associated with dharma can become a turning point in a fallen person’s fate.
Kedāra, where narratives illustrate how Śiva-linked merit protects and uplifts.
Implicitly, the keeping of a rakṣā (protective sacred token) is shown as efficacious; the broader context points to Śaiva protective marks (vibhūti/tripuṇḍra).