Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 6
उपवासै स्तथा तुल्यं तपः कर्म्म न विद्यते । नास्ति वेदात्परं शास्त्रं नास्ति मातृसमो गुरु
upavāsai stathā tulyaṃ tapaḥ karmma na vidyate | nāsti vedātparaṃ śāstraṃ nāsti mātṛsamo guru
உபவாசத்துக்கு ஒப்பான தவக்கிரியை இல்லை; வேதத்தை விட உயர்ந்த சாஸ்திரம் இல்லை; தாய்க்கு ஒப்பான குருவும் இல்லை।
Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa narrative context; exact speaker not in snippet)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A sage instructs pilgrims: one holds a Veda manuscript/palm-leaf; another bows to his mother; a third observes fasting with calm restraint.
FAQs
Dharma is upheld through inner restraint (fasting), right authority (Veda), and foundational reverence (mother as guru).
The verse is a general dharma teaching embedded within the Dharmāraṇya tīrtha narrative.
Upavāsa (fasting) is explicitly praised as the foremost austerity-practice.