Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24
यदि पृच्छति केनाहमाख्यात इति मां ततः । निवेद्य चैतद्वक्तव्यं त्वामाख्यायाग्निमाविशत्
yadi pṛcchati kenāhamākhyāta iti māṃ tataḥ | nivedya caitadvaktavyaṃ tvāmākhyāyāgnimāviśat
فإن سأل: «بِمَن عُرِّفتُ لكم؟» فبعد أن تُعلِمني بذلك، قل: «لما عرَفَكَ دخلَ النار».
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)
Scene: A seeker, hands folded, answers Saṃvarta’s sharp question about who identified him; in the background, a symbolic flame indicates the earlier ‘entered the fire’ event, rendered as a memory vignette.
FAQs
Truthfulness and accountability in speech are emphasized—even strategic actions ultimately face the demand for honest disclosure.
Kāśī/Vārāṇasī as the narrative arena where sages’ austerity and dharma-testing unfold.
No public ritual is taught; the verse mentions agni-praveśa as an extraordinary narrative act.