Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16
अध्रुवेण शरीरेण ध्रुवं कर्म समाचरेत् । अवश्यमेव यास्यन्ति प्राणाः प्राघूर्णिका इव
adhruveṇa śarīreṇa dhruvaṃ karma samācaret | avaśyameva yāsyanti prāṇāḥ prāghūrṇikā iva
ด้วยกายอันไม่เที่ยงนี้ พึงกระทำกรรมธรรมอันมั่นคง; เพราะลมหายใจย่อมจากไปแน่—ดุจลูกข่างที่หมุนไม่อาจหยุดนิ่ง
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha (general Revākhaṇḍa setting)
Type: river
Scene: A pilgrim on the Narmadā bank reflects on mortality; beside him a spinning top whirls, symbolizing prāṇa’s restless departure; distant ghāṭa steps and ascetics frame the scene.
FAQs
Because life is uncertain, one should prioritize dharma and meritorious acts that endure beyond bodily change.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse gives universal dharma grounding for later tīrtha-related practice.
A general prescription: engage in steadfast righteous action (dhruva-karma), especially in view of death’s certainty.