Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31
अथवा नियमभ्रष्टस्त्यक्ष्ये चेदं कलेवरम् । मम पक्षं च कः कुर्य्यात्को मे दास्यति जीवितम्
athavā niyamabhraṣṭastyakṣye cedaṃ kalevaram | mama pakṣaṃ ca kaḥ kuryyātko me dāsyati jīvitam
“O kung ako’y malihis sa aking mga panata (vrata), maaari kong iwan ang mismong katawang ito. Sino ang kakampi sa akin, at sino ang magbibigay sa akin ng buhay?”
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating the sage’s inner speech (deduced)
Scene: A solitary sage, weakened by austerity, pauses in anguish—hands raised in questioning—against the backdrop of a sacred coastal city, contemplating the collapse of vows and the loss of support.
FAQs
Vows and discipline are the ascetic’s lifeline; when human support fails, one must rely on dharma and divine refuge.
The Dvārakā-māhātmya setting points toward Viṣṇu’s protection manifest through Dvārakā’s sacred tīrthas.
Implicit emphasis on maintaining niyama (vowed discipline); no specific rite is described.