Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 103
तत्र तेपे तपः साध्वी निराहाराऽश्वरूपिणी । एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवि तस्याश्छाया विवस्वतः
tatra tepe tapaḥ sādhvī nirāhārā'śvarūpiṇī | etasminnaṃtare devi tasyāśchāyā vivasvataḥ
Di sana wanita suci itu, dalam rupa kuda betina, menjalankan tapa tanpa makanan. Sementara itu, wahai Dewi, bayangannya (Chāyā) tetap bersama Vivasvān (Sūrya).
Īśvara (Śiva) as narrator
Scene: In a remote northern realm, Saṃjñā in mare-form stands in austere stillness, emaciated yet radiant, practicing foodless tapas; simultaneously, a shadowy feminine figure (Chāyā) remains beside Sūrya in a sunlit palace, maintaining household presence.
FAQs
Tapas (austerity) is presented as a transformative spiritual force, even amid complex worldly duties.
The māhātmya’s sacred frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra, but this verse locates the episode in the cosmic north near Uttara Kuru rather than a named earthly tīrtha.
Fasting (nirāhāra) as part of tapas is described, though not as a general public injunction.