Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11
स तथा संवृतो धीमान्मृत्पिंड इव सर्वतः । तप्यते स्म तपो घोरं वल्मीकेन समावृतः
sa tathā saṃvṛto dhīmānmṛtpiṃḍa iva sarvataḥ | tapyate sma tapo ghoraṃ valmīkena samāvṛtaḥ
வல்மீகத்தால் மூடப்பட்ட அந்த ஞானி, எல்லாப் புறமும் மண் கட்டி போல அடைக்கப்பட்டான்; ஆயினும் அவன் கடும் தவத்தைத் தொடர்ந்து செய்தான்।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Vīrasthāna (Prabhāsa-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī
Scene: Inside an anthill-like casing, the sage’s face is barely visible, eyes closed in fierce meditation; heat of tapas is suggested as a subtle aura, while earth layers surround him like a cocoon.
FAQs
Inner fire (tapas) is independent of outer conditions; spiritual effort persists despite physical confinement.
Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where such tapas is remembered as part of the site’s sacred greatness.
No explicit rite; the verse highlights tapas as a purifying discipline.