Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 19
अथाऽपश्यद्ध्यानदृष्ट्या गंगासक्तं महेश्वरम् । गौर्या भयेन सव्याजं ततो विस्मयमागतः
athā'paśyaddhyānadṛṣṭyā gaṃgāsaktaṃ maheśvaram | gauryā bhayena savyājaṃ tato vismayamāgataḥ
پھر دھیان کی بینائی سے اس نے مہیشور کو گنگا سے وابستہ دیکھا، اور یہ بھی کہ گوری کے خوف سے بہانہ بنا کر یہ سب کیا جا رہا ہے؛ تب وہ حیرت میں ڈوب گیا۔
Purāṇic narrator
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Jāhnavī) in relation to Maheśvara
Type: river
Scene: The meditating sage’s inner vision opens: he beholds Śiva near/with Gaṅgā, and perceives a concealed pretext driven by fear of Pārvatī; the sage is astonished.
FAQs
Meditative insight reveals hidden motives behind outward acts, encouraging spiritual discernment (viveka).
The verse reinforces Gaṅgā’s sanctifying centrality within a localized Arbuda narrative, effectively linking the locale to Gaṅgā’s purifying fame.
No new prescription; it clarifies that the ‘vrata’ was a pretext (vyāja) and highlights dhyāna as the means of knowing.