Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24
दृष्ट्वा चैव तपोनिष्ठां तेषामाद्यः सुरेश्वरः । उवाच वचनं देवः प्रणतान्पार्श्वतः स्थितान्
dṛṣṭvā caiva taponiṣṭhāṃ teṣāmādyaḥ sureśvaraḥ | uvāca vacanaṃ devaḥ praṇatānpārśvataḥ sthitān
Melihat keteguhan mereka dalam tapa-brata, Tuhan para dewa yang purba pun bersabda, menyampaikan firman suci kepada mereka yang berdiri di sisi dengan kepala tertunduk penuh sembah.
Śiva (continuing narration; framed by Sūta earlier)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devotees/ascetics standing nearby with bowed heads
Scene: A group of ascetics/devotees stand to the side with heads bowed, hands folded; Śiva, the ancient lord, observes their unwavering austerity and begins to address them, signaling imminent blessing or instruction.
FAQs
Austerity anchored in devotion and humility draws direct divine instruction and protection.
The episode is part of Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya, highlighting the place as a stage for tapas and divine encounter.
No explicit prescription; it depicts tapas-niṣṭhā (firm austerity) as the devotees’ defining practice.