Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12
शुष्का महीरुहाः सर्वे तथा ये च जलाशयाः । नद्यश्च स्वल्पतोयाश्च गंगाद्या अपि संस्थिताः
śuṣkā mahīruhāḥ sarve tathā ye ca jalāśayāḥ | nadyaśca svalpatoyāśca gaṃgādyā api saṃsthitāḥ
Segala pokok menjadi kering, demikian juga kolam dan takungan air. Sungai-sungai tinggal sedikit air—bahkan Gaṅgā dan sungai-sungai besar yang lain pun menyusut menjadi aliran yang tipis.
Skanda (deduced; Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narration style)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (referential)
Type: river
Scene: A vast riverbed with only a thin ribbon of water; dried trees along the bank; empty ponds cracked like pottery; pilgrims staring in disbelief at the diminished Gaṅgā.
FAQs
The drying of nature—even revered rivers—signals a cosmic-moral imbalance; Purāṇas present dharma and sacred acts as restoring harmony.
Gaṅgā is mentioned as a sacred river, but the verse mainly paints the drought backdrop within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha narrative.
None; it is descriptive, establishing the severity of the drought.