Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 86
तपसाविष्टमनसो न पश्यंति वृषध्वजम् । सहस्रशोऽथ शतशो बहुशोऽथ य एव हि
tapasāviṣṭamanaso na paśyaṃti vṛṣadhvajam | sahasraśo'tha śataśo bahuśo'tha ya eva hi
Dengan fikiran yang dikuasai oleh tapa, mereka tidak melihat Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva yang panjinya bergambar lembu)—walaupun Dia hadir dalam ribuan, ratusan, dan banyak rupa sesungguhnya.
Narrator (contextual voice within the adhyāya)
Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: Ascetics absorbed in severe tapas sit motionless, eyes half-closed; behind and around them, Śiva as Vṛṣadhvaja appears in multiple subtle manifestations—some luminous, some shadow-like—yet unnoticed by the tapasvins.
FAQs
Austerity without right insight can still veil the divine; true seeing requires humility and correct understanding of Śiva’s pervasive presence.
Vastrāpathakṣetra in Prabhāsa provides the sacred context where the text teaches how to perceive and honor Vṛṣadhvaja.
No explicit prescription; it implies that tapas should be joined with devotion and discernment to truly ‘see’ the Lord.