। ऋषय ऊचुः । चमत्कारः कथं राजा मुक्तः कुष्ठेन सूतज । कथं तेन तपस्तप्तं कियत्कालं च भूभुजा
| ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | camatkāraḥ kathaṃ rājā muktaḥ kuṣṭhena sūtaja | kathaṃ tena tapastaptaṃ kiyatkālaṃ ca bhūbhujā
قال الحكماء: «يا ابنَ سوتا، كيف تحرّر الملك من داء الجُذام—وما هذا الأمر العجيب؟ وكيف مارس ذلك الحاكم التَّقشّف (التَّبَس)، وكم دام من الزمان؟»
Ṛṣis (sages) addressing Sūta
Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (topic continued)
Listener: Ṛṣis
Scene: An assembly of sages seated in a forest hermitage, facing Sūta; their expressions curious and amazed; one sage raises a hand in inquiry; ritual fires and deer-skins in the background.
Purāṇas teach through inquiry: seekers ask for the method (sādhana) behind a miracle, not merely the result.
Śaṅkhatīrtha remains the central tīrtha under discussion, prompting the sages’ questions.
No prescription here; it requests details about the king’s tapas and the timeline leading to liberation.