Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 17
एवं च वसते तत्र जनः स्वर्गे तपोधन । यावत्पुण्यक्षयस्तावत्पश्चात्पातमवाप्नुयात्
evaṃ ca vasate tatra janaḥ svarge tapodhana | yāvatpuṇyakṣayastāvatpaścātpātamavāpnuyāt
Demikianlah, wahai khazanah tapa, manusia tinggal di syurga hanya selama pahala kebajikan masih berbaki; apabila pahala itu habis, sesudahnya mereka jatuh (daripada keadaan itu).
Devadūta
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha region)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Tapodhana / muni (addressee)
Scene: A didactic vision: souls enjoying svarga in radiant vimānas while an unseen counter of merit diminishes; as puṇya ends, the radiance fades and a downward path appears, underscoring impermanence.
FAQs
Heaven is not final liberation: it lasts only until puṇya is spent, teaching impermanence and the need for a higher, Śiva-centered goal.
No single earthly tīrtha is named in this verse; it supports the Arbuda Khaṇḍa’s broader māhātmya by steering the listener toward lasting spiritual attainment.
No explicit rite is given; the verse provides doctrinal guidance about karma’s finite results.