Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27
जेपुर्जप्यं मुनिवरा व्याधविद्धा मृगा इव । जहुः कांतिं च सूर्याद्या नीहाराश्छांदयन्दिशः
jepurjapyaṃ munivarā vyādhaviddhā mṛgā iva | jahuḥ kāṃtiṃ ca sūryādyā nīhārāśchāṃdayandiśaḥ
เหล่ามุนีผู้ประเสริฐเร่งสวดมนต์ภาวนา ดุจเนื้อทรายถูกนายพรานยิงบาดเจ็บ สุริยะและดวงสว่างอื่นๆ ก็สิ้นรัศมี และหมอกหนาทึบปกคลุมทิศทั้งปวง
Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition)
Listener: Pṛthāsuta (addressed in adjacent verse) / epic-audience
Scene: Sages, startled like wounded deer, quicken their japa; the sun’s brilliance fades; mist curtains the horizons, swallowing the directions.
FAQs
In times of cosmic disturbance, the sages respond with japa—showing mantra as a stabilizing dharmic refuge.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse highlights the rishis’ spiritual response rather than a pilgrimage location.
Japa (muttered recitation) is explicitly referenced as the sages’ practice in response to ominous signs.