Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11
अत्राहं चैव नि र्मुक्तः स्त्रीहत्योद्भवपातकात् । तस्मादत्रैव राजेंद्र तिष्ठामः पंचवासरान्
atrāhaṃ caiva ni rmuktaḥ strīhatyodbhavapātakāt | tasmādatraiva rājeṃdra tiṣṭhāmaḥ paṃcavāsarān
Di sinilah sesungguhnya aku dibebaskan daripada dosa yang timbul akibat membunuh seorang wanita. Maka, wahai raja yang utama, marilah kita tinggal di sini selama lima hari.
Bhīṣma
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as ‘rājendra’)
Scene: Bhīṣma, humbled, speaks of past wrongdoing and liberation; the group resolves to remain five days, setting up a camp or lodging near the shrine, with a mood of solemn purification.
FAQs
Holy places function as prāyaścitta (atonement): sincere presence in a powerful kṣetra is presented as capable of lifting grave karmic burdens.
Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra is implied as the ‘here’ where Bhīṣma experienced purification.
A prescribed observance is implied: to remain at the kṣetra for five days (pañca-vāsara), as part of tīrtha-based purification.