Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13
पंचाग्निसाधको ग्रीष्मे जपहोमपरायणः । केनचित्त्वथ कालेन तस्य धेनुः पयस्विनी । नंदिनीति सुविख्याता सा वै कामदुघा शुभा
paṃcāgnisādhako grīṣme japahomaparāyaṇaḥ | kenacittvatha kālena tasya dhenuḥ payasvinī | naṃdinīti suvikhyātā sā vai kāmadughā śubhā
Pada musim panas, beliau mengamalkan tapa “lima api” dan tekun dalam japa serta homa (persembahan suci ke dalam api). Setelah beberapa waktu, beliau memperoleh seekor lembu yang mengeluarkan susu, masyhur bernama Nandinī—sungguh bertuah, laksana Kāmadhenu, pemberi kelimpahan yang menunaikan hajat.
Sūta
Listener: Dvija-śreṣṭhas/ṛṣis
Scene: In the blazing summer, Vasiṣṭha sits amid the five fires, chanting and offering oblations; beside the hermitage stands Nandinī, the radiant wish-fulfilling cow, overflowing with milk—an auspicious sign of dharma’s abundance.
FAQs
Austerity joined with japa and homa generates spiritual power and divine support that sustains dharma.
The Arbuda-māhātmya context continues; the episode introduces Nandinī, pivotal to the forthcoming sanctification narrative.
Pañcāgni-sādhana (five-fire penance), japa (mantra repetition), and homa (fire offerings).