Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 61
जठरस्थोऽसि भूतानां ततो वेत्सि शुभाशुभम् । पापेषु दर्शयात्मानमर्चिष्मान्भव पावक
jaṭharastho'si bhūtānāṃ tato vetsi śubhāśubham | pāpeṣu darśayātmānamarciṣmānbhava pāvaka
నీవు సమస్త భూతాల జఠరములలో నివసిస్తున్నావు; అందువల్ల శుభాశుభములను తెలిసినవాడవు. పాపవిషయంలో నీ స్వరూపాన్ని ప్రకటించు—హే పావకా, జ్వాలలతో ప్రకాశించు।
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A ritual arena with drawn maṇḍalas; a blazing yet controlled sacred fire addressed as Pāvaka, symbolically present also as the digestive fire within beings; the accused/abhiśasta stands before priests.
FAQs
Divine fire is both inward (digestive) and outward (ritual), and is invoked as a witness that illuminates truth and purifies wrongdoing.
No tīrtha is referenced; the verse is a doctrinal and ritual invocation of Agni.
Invoke Agni as the knower of auspicious/inauspicious and ask him to shine forth and reveal himself with regard to sin.