Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 42
युद्धे पुनस्तारकं च वधिष्यति न संशयः । येनोपायेन भगवाञ्छंभुः सर्वगुहाशयः
yuddhe punastārakaṃ ca vadhiṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | yenopāyena bhagavāñchaṃbhuḥ sarvaguhāśayaḥ
“และในสงคราม เขาจักสังหารตารกะอย่างแน่นอน—ไม่ต้องสงสัย ด้วยอุบายใดก็ตามที่พระภควานศัมภู ผู้สถิตในคูหาลับแห่งดวงใจทั้งปวง (พึงเข้าถึงหรือบูชา)…”
Aśarīrā-vāṇī (continuing)
Tirtha: Kedāra (as Śambhu’s seat) implicitly; inner ‘guhā’ as spiritual tīrtha
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devas
Scene: A prophetic assurance: Skanda will slay Tāraka in battle; simultaneously, Śambhu is evoked as the hidden indweller of all hearts—suggesting a split imagery of cosmic war and meditative inner shrine.
FAQs
Śiva is both transcendent and indwelling; victory over adharma is assured when aligned with the divine will.
No specific tīrtha is named in the verse; it remains within Kedāra-kathā context.
The verse hints at an ‘upāya’ (means) of approaching Śiva, but the specific practice is not stated in this line.