Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 41
यत्र वै धर्मराजोसौ तपश्चक्रे सुदुष्करम् । हास्यभावकटाक्षैश्च गीतनृत्यादिभिस्तथा
yatra vai dharmarājosau tapaścakre suduṣkaram | hāsyabhāvakaṭākṣaiśca gītanṛtyādibhistathā
Doon nga, kung saan si Dharmarāja ay nagsagawa ng napakahirap na tapas, sila’y lumapit na may mapaglarong ngiti at pahilis na sulyap, at gayundin sa awit, sayaw, at iba pang sining.
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Scene: At the austere hermitage-ground, apsarases approach with smiles, sidelong glances, and performing arts—song and dance—contrasting with the stillness of the ascetic’s tapas.
FAQs
Spiritual practice is tested not only by hardship but by pleasure; mastery is shown by remaining steady amid allurements.
Dharmāraṇya, presented as a potent tapas-sthāna where Dharmarāja undertakes severe austerity.
No explicit prescription; the verse describes the testing of an ascetic through distraction.