Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10
तस्यैवं तप्यमानस्य तपस्तीव्रं महात्मनः । माहिषं रूपमास्थाय निश्चक्राम धरातलात्
tasyaivaṃ tapyamānasya tapastīvraṃ mahātmanaḥ | māhiṣaṃ rūpamāsthāya niścakrāma dharātalāt
Semasa berjiwa besar itu sedang melakukan pertapaan yang hebat, (Tuhan) menjelma dalam bentuk kerbau dan muncul dari permukaan bumi.
Sūta
Tirtha: Gaṅgādvāra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: From the ground near the riverbank, a powerful buffalo-form bursts forth—dust and light rising—while Indra continues austerity, devas startled in awe; the moment signals Śiva’s arrival in disguise.
FAQs
Sincere austerity performed at a sacred place draws divine response; the Lord may manifest in unexpected forms to protect dharma.
The manifestation occurs in the same tīrtha-context established at Gaṅgādvāra, reinforcing the site’s power to invoke divine presence.
Tapas is the operative practice; the verse illustrates its ‘phala’ (result) rather than prescribing a specific rite.